


The Lion and the Peacock

by MissFirefly



Series: The Lion [2]
Category: Kung Fu Panda (Movies)
Genre: Boss Wolf finally gets a name, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Epic Russian Doctor, F/M, Humanizing the villains, and characters will get hurt, kung fu fighting, there will be battles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-23
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:07:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 55,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21528808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissFirefly/pseuds/MissFirefly
Summary: After the Battle for the Dragon Scroll, Leo Lung is finally at peace. Turns out all it took to knock some sense into his brother was a trip to the Spirit Realm. But Leo Lung is happy to be home. That is, until a mad peacock takes over Gongmen City.Leo Lung, along with Po, Tigress, and the rest of the gang, are tasked with bringing Shen to justice and taking back the City. But when Shen recognizes Leo, the peacock shifts gears.With the Valley of Peace in the line of fire, Leo has to protect his home, his friends, and, most importantly, himself; if he fails, everything he loves will go up in flames.
Relationships: Boss Wolf/Original Female Character, Original Male Character/Original Female Character
Series: The Lion [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1498274
Kudos: 7





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there!
> 
> If you are a big fan of Kung Fu Panda fanfiction, you may be familiar with my previous work, The Lion and the Leopard. This story, The Lion and the Peacock, is a direct sequel to this one. It takes place over the second KFP movie. If you have not yet read my first story, The Lion and the Leopard, then I recommend you read that one first, and then come check this one out.
> 
> This story will likely contain recurring characters, epic battles, and plot twists, so buckle your seat belt and let's get going!

The red light of the setting sun glowed on the mountain trees. The snow was crisp and smooth over the ground. It was a peaceful evening. The silence was only broken by crickets chirping, and the occasional mountain winds blowing harmlessly throughout the trees.

A quiet village lay snugly in the valley of the mountain. It was picture perfect. The residents were harmless. Many of them were farmers. Some were cooks, others lived as dancers. It was, without a doubt, one of the most serene villages in all of China, maybe even the world.

However, not everyone was happy with these villagers and their utter peacefulness. Attackers loomed in the shadows. Ominous, glowing eyes broke through the darkness. Countless figures stood, lining the edge of a hillside, ready to charge. Not a singly creature, not even a bird, stirred as the enemies crept towards the village. They made not a sound, for fear of breaking their precious cover.

Then, as if on a silent signal, torches lit and howling wolves leapt into the clearing. Alarmed pandas screamed in surprise as savage wolves destroyed their homes. In less than a minute, the entire village was alive with shrieking pandas, growling wolves, and the crackle of fire.

Homes were torched and leveled. The wolves, equipped with knives, bows, and swords, struck down the pandas. Screams of fear became shrieks of agony, and, quickly, were silenced altogether.

The cry of a baby alerted several wolves to a lone panda cub, wailing for it's parents. A chilling cry broke the night air,

"Get them all!" The leader of the army commanded. He was a silvery-white peacock. His tail feathers were unfurled, and he pointed a wing towards the crying babe.

A pair of wolves charged towards the panda cub, eager to dig their evil fangs into it's fur. The baby panda could see the whiteness of the wolves teeth, and the gleam in their eyes. The child gasped, clutching his toy to his chest in fear.

However, a large, burly male panda leapt in the way. He swung a mighty hammer, knocking the wolves away. It was the cub's father. He watched as the wolves landed in the fire.

A female panda approached behind him. The male lifted his head as more wolves wrecked the village. He turned to his wife,

"Take our son, and run away!" He ordered, "Go!" He pointed towards the forest that lined the edge of the village. It led into the mountains. The panda's wife scooped up her child and stumbled towards the tree line. Several other panda survivors raced with her.

The panda cub dropped his toy, watching it fall into a burning building. A pile of lumber fell on top of the toy, leaving it buried in rubble. He cried as his mother carried him into the woods.

The mother felt tears running down her large cheeks as she ran into the cold, snowy night. The wind blew against her. Little snowflakes hit against her fur. She breathed heavily, holding her child in her arms. Her gut told her to turn around and search for her husband, but her maternal instincts demanded that she find a safe home for her child.

She heard growling and the snapping of jaws to her right. The mother saw a large wolf galloping towards her. She felt dread rising in her. The wolf snapped his maw at her and leapt, his teeth glittering in the pale light. Desperate to survive, the mother ducked underneath the canine. The wolf crashed behind her in the snow.

The female panda ran through the snow, as fast as she could manage. Her eyes caught a cliffside nearby. She looked over the edge and saw..grocery crates! She slid down the edge and walked over to one of the crates. Radishes filled the crate, but there was room for more.

The mother lifted her sweet baby and placed him delicately in the box. Someone had to find him here. The child cried as she moved to run away. Fearful of the wolves hearing her, the female quietly shushed the child, moving in closely to hold his tiny paws.

"Ma.." The baby said innocently.

The mother panda felt her heart snap in two. She did not want to leave him behind, but she did not want to risk him dying. She kissed his forehead goodbye and held his chubby little cheek lovingly. He nuzzled into her touch, a small grin on his face.

Tears threatened to spill over her cheeks. She slowly backed away from her child. A sad smile creased her large face as she tried to keep him from crying. Then, without a single word, the panda clambered up to the top of the cliffside.

The wolves, who were sniffing around the forest, lifted their heads as the mother entered their view. The panda waved her arms frantically. Anything to distract them from the babe in the radish crate. The canines snarled and charged at her, holding red torches in their paws. Some of them ran on two feet, while others ran on all four paws. Close behind the wolves, an evil white peacock followed. The mother raced into the woods, away from her child. She could feel the wolves hot breath on her neck.

She had one last thought before the cold steel struck her down,

{I hope my dear little Lotus is ok.}


	2. Bean Buns

The air was cold and the wind was biting. In the deepest mountains in China, a grey factory cut through the horizon. Black smoke billowed from the top of the factory, turning the sky a dark grey. It was a desolate place.

However, the inside of the factory was anything but grey. Red magma stained the atmosphere a deep red. The sound of heavy hammers clanging, panting of exhausted workers, and the pulling of metal chains filled the air. Countless wolves worked in the factory. The pack was heaving, pounding, moving, and burning metal. Their strained grunts and pants gave hints as to how hard and strenuous their work was.

The pack of wolves were watched and overseen by their Alpha. He had no name. He simply went by 'Alpha' or 'Boss Wolf'. He was a large, muscular grey wolf. He had dark bluish grey fur, grey armor, and held a large war hammer in his right paw. He had a narrow, flat muzzle which was riddled with scars from previous battles. Alpha had only one eye, having lost his left eye in his younger years. His remaining eye was dark red, and always seemed to be narrowed or squinted.

Alpha watched as a pair of canines pulled on a heavy chain, causing a large bucket to tip over. White hot magma flowed out of the bucket into an enormous vat. The molten metal flowed for only about two seconds. The vat was only about half full. This would not do. His already narrow eyes squinted even more. While they had enough melted metal to forge another weapon, they needed more.

With a guttural growl, Alpha turned in place eyed a ledge above him. The wolf bunched his muscles and leapt upward. He landed where he intended, a grunt escaping his lips and he landed.

In front of him was a figure cloaked in darkness. This figure was only slighter taller than Alpha himself. Even though Alpha had an entire pack of over a thousand wolves behind him, this animal was Alpha's alpha. He dared not disobey him. Alpha glanced at the figure for a moment before falling onto one knee. He bowed, his eyes on the ground. He dared not look him in the eyes when he delivered this news.

"It is almost done, Lord Shen," Alpha started. He glanced upwards to the figure, Lord Shen, and continued speaking, "but we have run out of metal." Alpha closed his mouth. He did not want to speak any more than he needed to. Lord Shen, as regal as he may be, did not have very much patience.

The sound of metallic clicks filled the air. Metal talons gripped the edge of the overhang that the peacock was perched on. Lord Shen glared down at Alpha, his breathy voice ringing out throughout the factory as he spoke,

"Search the farthest villages! Find more metal!" The peacock ordered the wolf. Years of residing and overlooking workers in a smoke and steam filled factory had taken a toll on the bird's vocal cords. His voice was often raspy and breathy. Alpha nodded, accepting Shen's orders, turning to relay the orders to his pack.

The peacock lord raised his head and glared forward, visions of glory filling his evil red eyes. A small smirk crossed his beak and he rasped,

"China will be mine."

.

The Valley of Peace

.

All was well in the Valley of Peace. The sky was a brilliant light blue, and in the distance, birdsong could be heard. The mountains surrounding the Valley of Peace were covered in little green shoots and shrubs, giving the giant formations a healthy, green look.

On one of those mountains lay a brilliant palace. It was the Jade Palace, home of Kung Fu. Eight Kung Fu Masters resided in the Palace. They watched over the Valley, defending it from harm. Master Shifu, the stubborn red panda, was eldest. His adopted son, Master Leo Lung, the well-meaning asian lion, looked after the five younger masters. Master Tigress, the South Chinese tiger, was the leader of the Furious Five. Master Mantis, Master Crane, Master Viper, and Master Monkey were all members of the Furious Five. Then there was Master Po, the clumsy panda, who also happened to be the Dragon Warrior.

Now, in the courtyard of the Training Hall of the Jade Palace, two children were playing. One of them was bunny, the other one was a pig. In their tiny hands they held action figures. One of them held a tiny figurine that resembled Master Po, the other held a Master Tigress action figure.

"..and then, the Dragon Warrior joined the Furious Five!" The bunny child exclaimed, holding up his Po figurine.

"And they became the most awesomest Kung Fu team ever!" Responded the piglet, waving around the Tigress figure.

"Enough talk, let's fight." The bunny said, imitating Master Po and his eagerness to fight. The two kids began to clash their figurines together.

A sudden shout and a bang caused the children to jump in surprise.

"Listen! Listen! You can hear the Dragon Warrior training right now!" The bunny exclaimed.

Inside the Training Hall, one would expect a sort of organized chaos. Kung Fu Masters would be jumping from obstacle to obstacle, honing their skills and sparring with each other. Their precision and power only growing as they practiced. However, that was not the case.

Everything was still. None of the training mechanisms were in use. Everything was vacant. The only sound came from the far end of the Training Hall. The Furious Five, Master Leo Lung, and Master Po were gathered around a table. Po's mouth was impossibly full with bean buns. The Furious Five watched in awe and inspiration, while Leo watched in confusion and a hint of wonder. The Furious Five chanted in unison as the panda stuffed his mouth,

"Thirty-three!" They chanted. The only animals silent were Leo Lung and Po, however, Master Mantis spoke up,

"It's too dangerous!"

"Thirty-four!"

"Stop him!" Mantis said, his eyes going wide.

"Thirty-five!" The rest of the Five encouraged the panda.

"Stay focused, Po!" Tigress instructed. Leo, her mentor and brother figure, gave her a sideways glance, before returning an intense gaze to the panda. Thirty-six, thirty-seven bean buns fit inside Po's mouth.

"How is he doing that with his face?!" Mantis demanded.

Po's jaw creaked slightly as he delicately placed the final bean bun inside his mouth. When the food article was secure, he smashed his fist on the table, "Thirty-eight bean buns!" He said, his mouth full. Leo Lung wondered how he could even breathe with that much stuff in his mouth. The Furious Five, on the other paw, cheered.

"Yes! New record! You monster!" Mantis praised Po.

"Keep going! Hit forty!" Master Monkey pressed, scooting the bowl of remaining bean buns towards Po. Leo Lung saw this and rolled his eyes playfully,

"I don't think he has it in him." Leo Lung teased.

"I agree with Master Leo!" Master Crane added, "He will never hit forty!"

Po's eyes lit up at the challenge. He nodded, and tried to talk as best as he could, "You got it, Master Leo! I'll put it up to forty!"

"Do it!" Leo Lung and Tigress demanded at the same time. Po smirked, well, as best as he could with a stuffed mouth, and grabbed two bean buns with his two chopsticks. He lifted them to his mouth, easily placing them in there. However, Po had trouble closing his mouth. His lips stretched as he tried to close his mouth. The Furious Five watched, silently, in awe of the spectacle in front of them. Leo Lung watched, a small smile on his face.

Then, suddenly, Po's mouth closed, and it was like a tension was lifted from the room. Po's large arms lifted into the air and he cheered. The Five eagerly congratulated the panda. Crane moved to clap Po on the shoulder, causing forty wet, slimy bean buns to fly from the panda's mouth. Viper ducked quickly. Monkey and Mantis were hit, but Leo Lung's arm shot protectively in front of Tigress, effectively blocking buns from hitting her.

"Your training has paid off." Tigress said, ignoring how protective Leo was of her, instead choosing to praise the panda. The five agreed with her.

Leo opened his mouth to speak, however, he was cut off by a gong sounding in the distance. It was time to begin training, for real this time.

"Oh! It's Master Shifu! Got to go guys! See you later!" Po dashed towards the front door. But, before he left, he whipped around and gestured towards the bowl of bean buns, "You'll save those for me, right?"

Leo laughed, a full, deep chuckle, "Get going, Po! Best not to keep Master Shifu waiting!" The lion said. Po nodded eagerly, smiled, and ran off, leaving the six animals in the Training Hall.

The Lion Master turned towards the Five, "Well, who wants to spar first?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be sure to leave kudos and constructive criticism :) Positive feedback is my best motivation!


	3. The Musicians Village

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo Lung, Po, and the Furious Five fight to defend the Musicians Village

"Well, who wants to spar first?" Leo Lung asked, falling into a sparring stance and the Furious Five smirked. Po had just left for one-on-one training with Master Shifu, so Master Leo decided to oversee training with the Furious Five.

The five Masters circled him. Leo glanced from side to side. He had sparred against all five Masters before. He had beaten them multiple times. The group of Masters had only beaten him once, when they had decided to suddenly implement weapons into the spar. No animal was injured, but Leo was taken off-guard and this allowed the animals to pin him, unmoving, to the ground.

Now, the Five would have to spar with him bare-pawed. The weapons rack was on the other side of the Training Hall, and they would have to completely retreat in order to grab a sword or a staff.

"Ready when you all are, Masters." Leo stated. His brown mane prickled at the scruff. Someone was behind him. The quiet click of talons on wood led the asian lion to infer that it was Crane. Mantis and Viper were on either side of him, and Tigress and Monkey stood rigid in front of him.

Then, Tigress flicked her ear. All five animals surged forward, shouting out battle cries of different pitches, tones, and volumes in an attempt to disorient the lion. But Leo Lung was not phased. The lion pinned his ears to his head, ducked to the ground and rolled onto his back. Mantis attacked first. The quick insect struck Leo in the shoulder, causing the lion to narrow his eyes and grit his teeth. Mantis rushed towards his chest , his scythe-like claw gleaming in the light. Leo, determined not to get overwhelmed too quickly, raised a paw and swiped the insect out of the battle before he could strike. {One down..} Leo thought. But he didn't get his hopes up too soon.

Viper and Crane came at him from different angles. Crane flew from above in a dive bomb attack, and Viper from below, aiming for his underarm, a sensitive area of Leo's. However, Leo did not let this throw him off guard. Leo leapt upwards, using his momentum to kick his feet upwards and land a high jump kick to Crane's chin. The bird crashed to the ground; his attack failed.

Leo landed on the ground below, using his foot to pin Viper's neck underneath him. However, the snake used her whip-like tail to strike at Leo's waist. The lion hissed and grabbed her tail, effectively disabling her.

Tigress and Monkey charged at him next. Leo promptly released Viper so he could face his next opponents. Monkey leapt into the air, aiming at Leo's muzzle. However, Leo jumped up and roundhouse kicked Monkey in his temple. Monkey shrieked as he collapsed, and Tigress charged Leo head on. The two cats exchanged and blocked punches. The rest of the Five watched, battered, as the two ferocious cats traded blows. Leo was much bigger and more experienced than Tigress. However, Tigress was young and determined to win.

They were evenly matched. No matter how many punches, kicks, and strikes were thrown, the big cats could not break each others defenses. When Tigress reared her paw back and threw it forward in a powerful strike, Leo threw up his arms in a common X pose, and then, finally, two felines ceased. Tigress and Leo promptly bowed to each other,

"It seems like we are finally a match for one another." Leo huffed, his chest rising and falling. Leo did not have any trouble at all beating the four other members of the Five, he had over twenty years of experience on them. Tigress, however, was beginning to become an opponent.

"You were always a match for me. Now, I am finally a match for you." Tigress corrected Leo. Leo smirked at her remark. He then turned to address the Five as a whole,

"Keep up your training, all of you. Do not be set back by one defeat. I look forward to the day where all of you are matches for me." Leo's voice filled the room. The Furious Five began to perk up a bit at his encouragement.

However, before the Five or Leo could resume doing anything else, a frantic Jade Palace worker burst into the room. It was Zeng, the messenger goose. He was panting, and his legs were trembling. The Furious Five looked up curiously, and Leo narrowed his eyes. Whatever this was, must be important.

"Zeng? What is the matter?"

"Bandits have been spotted!" The goose honked out. "They are heading towards the Eastern Mountain range!"

"That's where the Musician village is!" Monkey exclaimed, "They are going to attack the Musician's village!"

"Alright, then." Leo said, his voice harboring a commanding tone, "Let's head to the village. I will retrieve Po from his training. Tigress, take the Five and we will meet you along the way! Go! We must not waste time!"

"Yes, Master Leo!" Tigress said. Leo dismissed the Five with a flick of his tail. The five warriors dashed out of the building. Leo fell onto all four paws and dashed up the mountain side.

Leo spied the cave ahead. Master Shifu was instructing Po. Unfortunately, training would have to be cut short today. Leo leapt onto a nearby rock outside of the cave, gaining Shifu and Po's attention.

"Po! We have received a report of bandits!" Leo perched on the rock, "They are heading towards the Musician's Village. We must defeat them!"

"Danger!" Po said, excitement in his voice, "You'd better tell those musician's to start playing some action music because it is on!"

"We must hurry, Po." Leo said, his tail lashing.

"Right!" Po turned towards Master Shifu, who was standing on a nearby rock, "I will master Inner Peace as soon I get back!"

"Let's go!" Leo Lung ordered, leaping down the mountain side. The Furious Five would be far ahead of them. If Leo and Po delayed any longer, the battle would likely start without them.

The two warriors dashed through the mountains. The wind blew through Leo's mane as he ran. Over the peaks of mountains and through the valleys, the two ran towards the Eastern Mountain range.

Finally, the village came into range. Leo's eyes widened as he spotted the Furious Five in the village. They were battling the bandits. By the looks of it, it was a large pack of wolves. {Rogues.} Leo thought, disgusted at the thought of anyone raiding a helpless village.

"Woooooooooohoooooooo!" Po shouted, his short legs churning back and forth as he spotted the excitement of battle.

"Let's go, Po! Stay focused!" Leo instructed. Po nodded eagerly. The mountain path ended suddenly, and Leo and Po leapt off of the mountain towards the village. Po smiled as he glanced at Leo, who's claws were unsheathed, his fangs bared, and his mane bushed in preparation for battle.

Po and Leo landed on the outskirts of the battle. Leo fell onto all fours and roared loudly, announcing his and Po's presence. Po shuddered as he felt the soundwaves reverberate through him. The battle halted as all eyes landed on the pair.

"My fists hunger for justice!" Po exclaimed, falling into a fighting stance. Suddenly his stomach growled embarrassingly. Leo cringed inwardly. "That was my fist." Po said quickly, his face blank. The villagers, who watched the battle from afar, suddenly cheered.

"The Dragon Warrior has arrived!" They shouted in joy, ecstatic that their day was saved.

However, a large, burly, grey wolf stared in shock, "The panda? That's impossible! Kill him!" The wolf, whom Leo assumed was the alpha of the pack, barked out.

But before the wolf pack could swarm Po, Leo leapt towards the alpha, his claws outstretched. The Furious Five also leapt into action. The wolves growled ferociously at their opponents, but none of the Kung Fu Warriors were phased.

Po, being the Dragon Warrior, led the defense of the village. Po even began to use his 'feet of fury' which was a move he had been fantasizing about using ever since he began using, well, before he was even Dragon Warrior. The panda began shouting out orders to the Five, and to Leo, and the Masters of Kung Fu beat the wolves back.

The Kung Fu Warriors were not defenseless against the wolf army's weapons however. They used metal and brass instruments that were scattered around the village to defend themselves and use as weapons. Po began calling out the names of his comrades in tandem as they fought the wolves.

"Tigress!" Po called. The Southern Chinese Tiger leapt in front of Po, a snarl escaping her lips. She tackled a wolf soldier. The wolf whined, and scurried off out of the village in retreat.

"Viper!" At the order's of Po, the lithe, green snake slithered into action. She lunged at a small wolf, knocking him backward. She quickly dispatched her opponent, before quickly moving back into the action.

"Monkey!" The golden-furred primate shrieked as he leapt at a wolf. Po watched, smiling, as the wolf howled in pain.

"Mantis!" The small, yet formidable, insect dashed through the battle. He leapt onto a wolf and began pounding the wolf into the ground using his scythe-like claws.

"Leo Lung!" Po called, spectating into pure awe and joy as the large lion roared and leapt at the alpha of the wolves, who snarled.

The lion and the wolf circled each other. The wolf lunged towards Leo Lung, his hammer swinging near inches from his face. Leo recoiled backwards, out of the way of the hammer, hissing towards the wolf. Leo's foot hit the edge of the cliff, and he planted his feet. The alpha, however, backed up and howled towards the cliff.

The ropes that were attached to the metal loot suddenly tightened. The large amounts of metal were suddenly hauled upwards, including the one that the alpha wolf was hanging on to. Leo's eyes widened, not at the bundles being lifted, but there was a screaming villager inside one of the bundles!

"Crane! Save that villager!" Leo Lung shouted, pointing towards the trapped pig.

"On it." The bird responded. He ascended higher and snapped the rope with his beak. However, before the loot, and the pig, could fall into the great chasm, Crane grabbed the ropes with his talons and flew back towards the village.

Crane landed and regrouped with his team. The village cheered and praised the warriors. Leo Lung smiled. However, the battle was not over yet. The alpha of the wolves leapt off of one of the bundles and landed on the edge of the cliff. The wolf alpha snarled loudly and charged, right towards Po. Leo Lung growled and stepped forward, ready to defeat the alpha, but Po stuck his paw out,

"Don't worry, Master Leo, I got this!" Po faced the wolf, and readied himself to hit the large wolf with his even larger body. The boss wolf raised his hammer, ready to strike.

But...something happened. Po hesitated. Leo's eyes widened. The wolf did not stop.

"Po!" Tigress called out, lunging to push Po out of the way, but the alpha was quicker. He swung his large hammer, hitting Po square in the face. Po was knocked backwards, hitting Tigress in the process, and the two fell backwards.

"Chew on that, tubby!" Alpha laughed smugly, retreating and grabbing a metal loot bundle and being hauled up and out of sight.

"Po! Are you okay?" Viper asked carefully as Po heaved himself up. Tigress got up quickly, and cast a glance to Po,

"What happened?" She demanded.

"I..I think I...I saw..." Po hesitated, staring, bewildered, at the ground in front of him, "I gotta go!" He said suddenly. Without waiting for his teammate's reactions, he ran towards the Jade Palace. Leo tilted his head, confused. He looked at Tigress and moved towards her,

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"I am fine." She answered shortly.

Leo frowned, and looked at the villagers, who were still staring in awe, "I am so sorry we could not save your instruments. We will do everything we can to help retrieve them." He pledged to the musicians. The reality began to set in: all of the metal and bronze instruments were stolen or lost or destroyed in the battle. However, the villagers simply smiled, taking turns to thank some of the warriors for their brave, valiant help.

The Furious Five each looked to Leo Lung. He was in charge now since Po's sudden retreat.

"Let us return to the Palace. We have to get to the bottom of this. They had to have stole that metal for something."

Each of the warriors nodded quietly. The shock of Po's exit and the heavy feeling of the bandits retreating with all the metal they could get their paws on was still fresh in the air.

Leo led the way back home.


	4. Past and Present

Business was booming in Mr. Ping's noodle shop. After word got out that Po, the clumsy waiter and son of Mr. Ping, was the Dragon Warrior, animals from all over China came to visit and try some noodle soup, which had a special ingredient that no one but Mr. Ping and Po knew. Customers flocked to the small diner on a daily basis. Po has certainly helped his father's shop.

"Thank you! Thank you for coming to Dragon Warrior Noodles and Tofu!" Mr. Ping, the goose, waved to a customer as the customer walked out of the diner, full and happy. But, never one to rest in the presence of costumers, he quickly turned to address another patron, "More lemon sauce? If there is anything you need, just ask! Thank you!" The goose was always good to his patrons.

However, he spied a young rabbit gazing fondly at a mop hanging on the wall: "The Dragon Warriors mop! He mopped these very floors with it!" Just as the rabbit reached out to touch it, Mr. Ping interrupted,

"Ah ah ah! No touching!" As the rabbit looked back at him, surprised and embarrassed, he explained: "You'll get the mop dirty."

"Ya know, he once waited on me." A large pig interrupted from a nearby table, his booming voice projecting across the diner, "I have the stain to prove it!"

"Awesome!" His friend replied, who was only sitting right next to him. The first pig turned to Mr. Ping and called out to him,

"Hey! Where is the Dragon Warrior?!" He asked.

"Ohh," Mr. Ping started, waddling up to them, "He does not work here anymore. He is busy out there, protecting the Valley." He explained. But fate, it seemed, was eager to surprise the goose that morning:

"Look! It's the Dragon Warrior!" Shouted the second pig.

Every pair of eyes turned to gaze at the entrance of the restaurant. There was Po. He was smiling shyly and waving to the customers. A rabbit, who Mr. Ping could only assume was a mother, held her baby up to Po. Po kissed the baby rabbit. Mr. Ping eagerly ran up to his son, "Po! You should have told me you were coming!" The large panda wrapped the goose in a hug, smiling slightly. He put his dad down and spoke,

"Uhm, dad, can I talk to you?"

Mr. Ping nodded, "Of course, son!" As the goose turned and waddled back towards the kitchen, he looked at his patrons. He smiled, "In honor of my son, free tofu dessert for everybody!" The costumers cheered happily. But Mr. Ping, thinking fast, added on, "Complete with purchases." The costumers quickly deflated, their excitement of the moments before quickly forgotten.

"It's so good to see you, Po!" Mr. Ping moved to hug his son as soon as the two entered the kitchen, "Have you lost weight? I can almost put my wings around you!"

Po smiled, "Ahh, well, maybe a little."

Mr. Ping frowned, "Oh, poor you! You must be so weak! Here, let me get you some soup." The goose moved over to the counter of the restaurant, where he grabbed his best knife. He began chopping vegetables to make some food for the large panda.

However, Po quickly intercepted the goose, "No, dad, it's ok. I'm not hungry."

Po's dad suddenly halted. The Po he knew would never turn down food. He looked at Po, "Not hungry, Po? You alright?"

The panda nodded, formulating his thoughts, "Yeah, yeah. No, I'm fine." Po began thinking, "It's just that.. I was fighting these bandits earlier today."

However, Mr. Ping was only partly listening. The goose answered with an 'uh huh'. He had continued making the soup, but he would sell it to a costumer instead. No doubt someone would want one.

"It was nothing too dangerous," Po said, "they were just..."

"Yeah." Mr. Ping said quickly. He continued chopping the food, quickly replacing the sliced and diced vegetables with whole ones on the cutting board.

"Then the strangest thing happened. I had this crazy vision. I think I saw my mom...and me...as a baby." The panda said, looking at the goose.

Mr. Ping slowly stopped his chopping. He registered what Po said and he felt his heart sped up in fear, "Wa..Wa..Wow...a baby?" He said, the gears hastily turning his head.

"Uh..dad..How do I say this?" Po glanced at a picture of him and his father when he was younger, "Where did I come from?" He turned and looked back at his dad. Mr. Ping straightened his neck and his eyes widened. His face fell and he turned sadly to Po.

"Well, you see, son," He thought for a minute, "uhh, baby geese from..from an egg." He said with a nervous smile, "Don't ask me where the egg comes from!" He added quickly and sternly.

Po facepalmed, "Dad, that's not what I meant!" He cringed, gritting his teeth. Mr. Ping sighed sadly and continued,

"I know it's not. I think it's time I told you something that I should have told you a long time ago." Mr. Ping leaned in towards Po. Po, who became slightly nervous, nodded and gave him the ok.

"You..." Mr. Ping hesitated, "might've been kind of...a..a.." He gathered the strength to say it: "adopted." He said, staring sadly at Po for his reaction. However, Po's reaction was not the one that the goose expected:

"I knew it!" He hissed quietly, almost to himself. Mr. Ping's look of surprise and bewilderment replaced his one of sadness,

"You knew? Oh, who told you?!" He questioned.

"No one!" Po stated hastily, "I mean, c'mon, Dad!" He said.

Po noticed the differences between him and his father. He was an enormous panda with an even bigger appetite. His father was a goose. That would have been clues enough for him. But, now that Po has had his vision, he had to confirm his suspicions. Mr. Ping spoke up:

"Well, if you knew, why didn't you say anything?" He demanded.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Po easily countered his dad's question, holding up one of his arms in exaggeration. Po paused for a minute, glancing off to the side to gather his thoughts. Then, when the goose did not say anything, he spoke up, "How did I get here, Dad? Where did I come from?" He asked clearly. He hoped that Mr. Ping would give him a straight forward answer.

Instead of telling him about cliche old story about some animals that dropped him off at the front door, Mr. Ping hopped off of his basket and replied, "Actually, you came from this." He pulled a small, woven basket from underneath the side countertop. He moved it in front of Po. The basket was tiny compared to the panda. Po would probably only be able to fit one leg in it, and the basket might break. Po looked at the basket in awe.

"It was just another day at the restaurant. It was time to make the noodles."

Mr. Ping, who was much younger looking- he had dark, almost black feathers, and his face was not so riddled with wrinkles- opened the back door of his restaurant. He exited from the kitchen and entered an alley way.

"I went out to the back, where my vegetables had just been delivered."

The goose looked around the alleyway. The delivery cart had just left- he saw the pigs carrying it in front of the restaurant. He had smiled and waddled to the back. The delivery came just in time. However, as Mr. Ping looked around, he spied something odd. One of the boxes was moving!

"There were cabbages, turnips, radishes..."

Mr. Ping cautiously approached the box. He had no idea what could be in it. It could be a feral cat or rat for all he knew. And it could be eating his vegetables- or worse: infecting them with disease! The thought made him sick. However, that did not stop him. He had to catch this culprit in the act of eating radishes.

"Only, there were no radishes."

The box jumped around some more. Mr. Ping, nervous and scared as he was, still approached the basket. Suddenly, the box tipped over. He leaned back, ready to run if needed, but there was no need. A fat, chubby-cheeked panda cub tumbled out of the basket.

"Just a very hungry baby panda."

The panda cub, whose fur was dirty and matted, looked sadly up at him. Mr. Ping looked at the cub in surprise. This was no cat or rat. It had eaten all of his radishes however. The baby rolled onto its back, causing a half-eaten radish under its paw to roll forward. The baby smiled and some combination of a hiccup and burp escaped its mouth. The panda grabbed the radish that had rolled forward and stuffed it clumsily into its mouth.

"There was no note. Of course, you could have eaten it."

Mr. Ping moved around the baby. He waddled to the end of the alley way, into the next street. The street was completely deserted. He glanced around. Maybe the baby's parents were around here some where. But, even though he looked up and down the streets, he saw no sign of a panda. There was no one here except for Ping and the baby panda.

"I waited for someone to come looking for you. But no one did."

He waited for almost an hour with the baby outside, looking around and waiting patiently for the parents, a guardian, or anyone to come claim the baby. However, no one took him. Mr. Ping decided to simply leave the baby; maybe someone would come looking for it. Someone would come and get the little child. As much as it pained the goose to see it, he could not do anything. He had a business to run. But when Mr. Ping picked up a basket full of cabbage heads, the baby started whining. He sadly ignored it and walked back to the door. The baby's whimper rose to a loud bawl, reaching out towards the goose, scrunching his eyes sadly.

Mr. Ping stopped suddenly. The baby kept crying. Ping stared ahead at his back door. He could keep going and enter his restaurant. In the fast-paced world of running a restaurant, he would forget about the child, only to be haunted by his choice in the darkest of nights, when he tossed and turned in bed, the baby's cries echoing in his mind. Or, he could turn around and take him inside. Mr. Ping sighed and turned around. He quietly placed his basket of cabbage on the ground and picked up a spare radish. He rolled it towards the baby.

The baby quickly perked up at the sight of the radish. Mr. Ping held his wings together in anticipation as he watched. The panda used his fat little paw and pushed it towards his mouth. He took one chomp of the vegetable, and half of the radish rolled back towards Mr. Ping. The baby flashed the goose a cheeky grin. Mr. Ping, thoroughly charmed by the baby panda, smiled.

"I brought you inside, fed you,"

Mr. Ping, strong but not strong enough to lift a baby panda, cleverly used a trail of dumplings to lure to baby inside. The baby seemed to have no limits to his appetite. He sucked the dumplings into his mouth and kept crawling. Mr. Ping lined up the dumplings so that they led the little baby to a tub. He tossed the last dumpling into the tub, prompting the infant to crawl inside headfirst and chew on the food item, while staring at Mr. Ping happily.

"I gave you a bath,"

Minutes later, Mr. Ping used a sponge to gently scrub the little panda clean. He used an insane amount of soap, so that only the little panda's face with visible through the incredible amount of bubbles and soap suds. A bubble drifted near the baby panda, and he ate it eagerly, only to grimace and snort when it popped in his mouth.

"and fed you again,"

After the bath, the little baby was squeaky clean. The goose used a spare rag to dry the baby off. Mr. Ping decided to make some more soup again, just in case the baby was still hungry. He whipped up some noodle soup, and spoon fed the baby. The baby took one big slurp of the soup. Mr. Ping smiled, and went to scoop up some more soup, only to realize that his hand was empty! He gently reached inside the infant's mouth and pulled out his spoon. He was dismayed to find it absolutely soaked in baby panda saliva.

"and again."

Mr. Ping moved to his countertop, grabbing three large vegetables and his cutting knife. He chopped the vegetables rapidly, every last crumb going straight into the baby's waiting mouth. Mr. Ping smiled; it was almost as if the baby had no limits to what he ate and if he would ever fill his belly.

"I tried to put some pants on you!"

Mr. Ping playfully approached the little panda, some pants in his wings. The baby playfully giggled and crawled away. He yanked the table cloth, and all of its contents, off of a nearby countertop. Then, the baby turned and crawled underneath a shelf. Mr. Ping smiled and walked towards him. The baby suddenly bumped his head on the shelf, and crawled out. About a dozen dumplings fell to the ground, followed by a big, metal wok. The wok fell onto the panda's head. The baby sat up and started crying.

Concerned, Mr. Ping quickly waddled over and turned the wok, so he could see if the baby was hurt. He was not, just startled and scared. The baby whimpered. However, seeing Mr. Ping again, the baby brightened up. The baby smiled and giggled. Mr. Ping felt his heart melting with how precious this little child was.

"Then, I made a decision that would change my life forever. To make my soup without radishes."

That evening, after all of the day's customers and patrons had been served, Mr. Ping once again turned all of his attention to the baby. He decided to make some of his noodle soup. The thing was...the soup had no radishes. The baby had eaten all of his radish stock. He brought the soup to the little panda, who was sitting in the radish crate. Mr. Ping, on his downtime, had reconfigured the crate into a makeshift crib so that the baby would be comfortable. Mr. Ping lovingly fed the baby panda, a warm smile on his beak as the panda ate.

"And to raise you as my own son. Xiao Po..my little panda."

Mr. Ping could feel the tears welling up as he gently stroked the edges of the radish crate, "And that's the end of the story." He sniffled, "Look at me! No, don't look at me." He hid his face in his wings. He did not want Po to see him crying over this story.

Po, while the story had moved him greatly, was still not satisfied. He spoke, "That's it? That can't be it! There has got to be more, Dad." He said. Mr. Ping looked at Po,

"Well, there was that time you ate all my bamboo furniture. It was imported, too."

The two were interrupted when a customer approached the counter. It was a rabbit, and he dropped several coins onto the counter, "One dumpling, please! Dragon warrior size!"

Mr. Ping turned his attention to the customer. He reached underneath the counter and pulled an oversized dumpling from out underneath the counter. He placed the dumpling on the counter and rolled it towards the rabbit, who stumbled underneath its weight. Mr. Ping turned back to Po,

"Oh, Po. Your story may not have such a happy beginning, but look at how it turned out!" He emphasized, "You got me, and kung fu, and noodles!" He smiled.

But Po frowned, "Yeah, I know. I still just have so many questions: like how did I fit in this tiny basket," Po gestured towards the radish crate, "why didn't I like pants?"

Po sighed, "...and who am I?"

Many miles away in Gongmen City

The city was quiet. The atmosphere was calm. People went about their daily business: visiting shops, buying groceries, and greeting friends. It was almost perfect.

Almost.

The quiet was disturbed only by the clang of metal. In the Tower of Gongmen City, formerly called Peacock Tower, were three masters: Master Crocodile- Master Croc, for short- and Master Storming Ox- Master Ox, for short. They were sparring in the middle of the tower courtyard. Their training was overseen by Master Thundering Rhino- Master Rhino, for short-, who was their master and teacher.

The Tower of Gongmen City never got many visitors. It was mostly a building for Kung Fu Masters. But today, it had a visitor. It had many deadly, ferocious visitors, to be exact. The quiet clicking sound of the approaching visitor broke the silence. Metallic talons clicked against the stone roads.

Lord Shen's white silk robes were delicately and intricately made, and his talons had custom-made gloves fitted so that knives lay over his talons. Lining the insides of his robes were dozens of silvery knifes, each one decorated with a feather pattern. He carried himself with the highest esteem.

As the peacock approached the Tower Gates, he caught the eye of half a dozen palace guards. The antelope stiffened as they watched the calm peafowl approach. The guards were not in shock for long, however. Lowering their spears, they began to charge. The commotion of the battle outside would be been enough to alert Master to check the perimeters. But not a sound was made as the white peacock effortlessly defeated each and every palace guard in seconds. He knocked them to the ground as if they were useless ragdolls. The only sign of effort that the bird exhibited was his widened eyes and his nostrils flared ever so slightly.

The guards moaned in pain and helplessness as the figure marched calmly past them, not even giving them a second glance. With a draw of his mighty, curved sword, Shen slashed the wooden barrier on the door. The wood splintered in half, and the door was pushed open.

Near the entrance of the Palace, Master Ox and Master Croc slowed to a stop as they heard the door being forced open. The pair glanced forward to see who it was. The Palace was not supposed to have any guests or visitors today.

Master Rhino pushed the two apart. The large rhinos eyes widened and his grip tightened on his war hammer as he saw who crested the staircase. He stepped between his two apprentices and stepped forward. His nostrils flared as the two sparring masters caught sight of who it was:

"Shen.."

Even Gongmen City's Soothsayer, who was waiting at the bottom of the steps, looked on in fear as she saw who approached. She knew Shen, for she was one who foretold his fate.

As the white peacock drew closer, he called out, "Good afternoon, gentlemen! Now that we have pleasantries out of the way, please leave my house."

"Your house?" Master Ox questioned, slightly curious. Neither he nor Master Croc had met Lord Shen. He had heard stories about the white peacock, and now he finally had the chance to meet him.

"Yes!" Shen replied. "Did you not see the peacock on the front door?" The peacock approached. He glanced to his right, and spotted the Soothsayer. A small grin creased his beak as he approached, "Ah, there you are, Soothsayer." He loomed over the small goat. "It seems your fortune telling skills are not as good as you thought." He said. The Soothsayer glared at him, her eyes narrowed and her voice steady as she replied,

"We shall see, Shen."

"No, you shall see, old goat." Shen uttered in pure spite. He turned back to the three masters, "Now, where were we?"

Master Rhino, ever calm in the face of his enemies, spoke, "What do you want, Shen?"

"What is rightfully mine: Gongmen City!" The peacock crowed. He stood tall in front of the three masters, his tail feathers splayed on the ground behind him. Master Rhino, however, shook his head and spoke,

"Gongmen City is under the stewardship of the Masters Council. We will protect it, even from you." Master Rhino's grip on his war hammer tightened and he stomped the hammer on the ground once for emphasis. He snorted once, his eyes narrowed and his ears flicking.

Shen, even though he was blatantly turned down, laughed, "I am so glad you feel that way!" The three masters caught sight of intruders behind Shen. It was an army of canines. They carried a large box, "Otherwise, I would have dragged that here for nothing." He beckoned towards the crate.

"What is in the box, Shen?" Master Ox snorted, his patience wearing thin with the peacock.

"Oh, you want to see?" The peacock said, his eyes widening slightly. "Well, it's your parting gift, in that it will part you." The three masters stiffened. Shen continued, "Part of you here, part of you there, and part of you way over there, staining the wall!"

"You insolent fool!" Master Ox roared. The bull leapt at Shen. However, the peacock did not come unprepared. Shen hastily pulled out a rope dagger and threw it at Ox. The rope tied around his right horn, and Shen yanked on the rope. The ox fell to the ground in a heap. Master Croc leapt to Ox's defense, but Shen quickly leapt out of the way.

Croc continued and crashed on the hard stone floor. He tumbled and landed on his stomach. Lord Shen leapt into the air, flinging sharp knives at Master Croc, his tail feathers unfurled in a display of red and white. Master Croc had to use his sword to deflect the knives. Shen landed between the two younger masters and Master Rhino. The peacock unsheathed his large, curved sword and the three animals began battling.

Shen ran at Ox, who swung his large ax in an attempt to behead Shen right then and there. However, Shen used his sword to block the ax. Shen shoved the large bull to the ground right as Croc leapt at him. Shen leaned to the side and kicked the crocodile right in his vulnerable underbelly. The reptile flew backward. Shen kicked Ox in the back of the head, causing him to fall to the ground.

Master Croc rushed back towards Shen, hissing menacingly. Shen, undeterred, splayed his tail feathers behind him to block the crocodile's attack. Croc recoiled, and, in an instant, Shen grabbed his sword and lunged through his tail feathers. Shen quickly furled his tail feathers and kicked Croc away, his metallic talons scraping against the reptile's skin.

As both Croc and Ox rolled away, Shen unfurled his large tail feathers and grabbed several of his knives. The peacock threw his knives at Master Rhino, who was watching the battle from where he was standing. The large rhino spun his war hammer, using the handle and the stone to deflect the small, but sharp, knives that Shen threw. He spun his war hammer as he descended down the stairs. When the peacock threw knives aimed at his head and neck, Master Rhino used his large horn to easily deflect the knives.

Master Rhino reared his hammer back, pushing it forward and knocking it into the peacock. Shen recoiled backward, digging his talons into the stone floor. The force of the impact sliced Shen's metal knives in half like they were paper. Shen seethed, glaring up at the rhino, "Showoff."

"That is a warning." Master Rhino panted, holding his hammer up towards the bird, "You are no match for our Kung Fu."

Shen straightened up, catching his breath. He looked at the Rhino, "I agree, but this is." He smiled. The peacock leapt backwards onto the wooden crate that his wolf armada had dragged in. The box fell open, revealing a large, dragon-faced cannon.

Master Thundering Rhino's eyes widened slightly. He quickly fell into a sparring stance and prepared for combat. Shen chuckled darkly. He clicked his talons once, twice, and scraped his talons against the fuse of the cannon. The fuse hissed for a second and the inside of the cannon lit up, revealing a large flaming cannon ball.

The cannon blasted.


	5. Departure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo Lung, Po, and the Five leave for Gongmen City

Leo Lung was sitting on his cot in his room when Zeng burst into his room. Leo glanced up, seeing the goose panting in his doorway. Leo smirked, a quick chuckle escaping his lips as he commented, "You can never seem to catch your breath, huh, Zeng?"

"...Very funny." Zeng said. Leo rolled his eyes playfully. He stood up,

"What is it that you need to tell me, then?" Leo inquired, his ears perking so he could listen to the bird.

"Master Shifu has gotten a scroll from Gongmen City. It is about Master Thundering Rhino. He wants to talk to you and the rest of the Masters. He says it is incredibly important." Zeng straightened his back, finally getting his breathing under control.

"Ah, alright. Thank you, Zeng." Leo said, smiling as he moved to exit his room. The goose scrambled out of the way, watching as Leo trotted on all four paws out of the dorms and towards the courtyard of the Palace.

When Leo arrived, he saw that the Furious Five and Po had just gathered around Master Shifu. Shifu looked at Leo as the lion stood upright. The worried expression on Shifu's face was all Leo needed to conclude that something was not right. Leo's brow furrowed and he frowned.

"Are you all familiar with the Master of Gongmen City?" Shifu asked, glancing back at the scroll.

Before Leo or Tigress could answer, Po spoke up quickly, "You mean Master Thundering Rhino?"

"Yes." Shifu said, his eyes scanning the scroll as he read and reread its contents.

"The son of legendary Master Flying Rhino?" Po asked, his excitement building. His imagination began to whirl as he thought of what Shifu would say next, "The slayer of the ten-thousand serpents of the Valley of Woe?"

"He is dead."

Master Leo, Tigress, Po, and the rest of the Masters were stunned into silence. However, that silence did not last long. Po, of course, was the first to speak up: "Whoa."

"But that is impossible!" Master Crane said under his breath, letting the weight of reality set in.

"Master Rhino's horn is impervious to any technique!" Tigress argued, her brows furrowing in confusion.

"I agree." Leo Lung put his two cents in, "Master Thundering Rhino is..er, was one of the greatest Kung Fu Masters in China. What happened?!" Leo demanded. Shifu glanced up to look at his students.

"This was no technique. Lord Shen has created a horrendous weapon. It can breathe fire and spit metal. Unless he is stopped, this can be the end of Kung Fu!" He said sadly.

Leo Lung felt all the blood drain quickly from his face. His heart dropped into his feet. The lion could hear Po talking to Shifu, but he blocked the panda out. Did he hear Master Shifu right? Lord Shen? Leo knew that name. It was a name from his past.

Then, suddenly, Leo was back in Gongmen City. He was smaller and less muscular. He was not scrawny, but he was certainly less toned than he is now. His mane, which was usually thick and full, was just starting to grow in. His neck and shoulders were exposed. Leo felt an oddly familiar ache in his shoulder.

In front of Leo stood two peafowl. One was large, noble, blue peacock, with his tail feathers spread. His wife, a beautiful purple peahen, stood beside him. Behind Leo Lung stood a young white peacock, just about Leo's age. His face was full of pride and arrogance. It was Lord Shen. But the blue peacock in front of Leo crowed angrily at Shen, "Leo Lung of the Jade Palace has informed us of your crimes. I hereby decree that you, my son, Shen, are exiled from the city! Do not return!"

Leo gazed at the white peacock. Shen, rage and hatred burning in his crimson eyes, glared back at Leo Lung, "You did this, Leo Lung of the Jade Palace! I will come back. I will get my revenge. And it will start with you! I will rule China! They will bow at my talons!"

The words echoed in Leo Lungs ears. His breath hitched, "Lord Shen.. the white peacock?" Leo felt his heart fall to his paws.

"Yes! He has taken Gongmen City! It is up to you all to save Kung Fu!" Shifu said, the urgency growing in his voice.

"But..but I just got Kung Fu!" Po insisted.

"And now, you must save it." Shifu turned to look at the large panda. "Go, all of you. Destroy this weapon, and bring Lord Shen to justice!"

Leo has never felt apprehension this strong until now. Nevertheless, he addressed the Five and Po, "Follow me. I know the way to Gongmen." Leo leapt out of the Palace and began his journey. The Furious Five followed, eager to begin the adventure to the harbor city. However, Po stayed behind and glanced nervously at Shifu,

"How am I supposed to stop something that stops Kung Fu?" His eyes grew wide. But Shifu looked reassuringly at Po,

"Remember, Dragon Warrior, anything is possible when you have... inner peace."

Po smiled and set off for the village, following the rest of his comrades. Shifu watched them. Then, suddenly, he frowned and narrowed his eyes. He muttered to himself as he glanced at the shrinking forms:

"Since when has Leo Lung been to Gongmen?"

Down in the village, citizens gathered in the streets and began cheering as the warriors followed Leo Lung's lead towards Gongmen City. Leo felt his spirits lift slightly at the sight of the all the animals supporting them. Po, even though he loved the praise he received, was muttering 'Inner Peace' repeatedly as he ran. Leo Lung suspected that Shifu had started giving the panda lessons on inner peace. Leo, Po, and the Furious Five had just crested a bridge that led towards the edge of the village when a sudden voice cried out, "Po!"

The panda skidded to a halt, causing the Five to nearly collide with him. Leo slowed to a stop. The lion turned to look at Po. He followed the panda's gaze and saw a big walking hiking bag. Leo narrowed his eyes in confusion. Suddenly Po's father, whom Leo knew as Mr. Ping, poked his head around the bag before dumping it and its contents to the ground. Several pots and pans clanged loudly. Mr. Ping spoke hastily:

"I got your travel pack! I packed you food for weeks!" The goose proceeded to rummage through the large bag. He pulled cookies, buns, and even vegetables out of the bag. Leo watched quietly as Po tried to rein in his father. But that failed as Mr. Ping pulled two wooden figures out of the bag, "I even brought all of your action figures!" Mr. Ping waved around the Tigress and Mantis figurines, "See?"

Monkey cackled with laughter. Tigress smirked at Po amusedly. Leo's ear perked and he stared at the figurines, then at Po. He knew that Po was a big fan of his, maybe even his biggest fan, but Leo did not know he was this big of a fan.

Tigress and Monkey moved towards Leo. Monkey looked at Leo and whispered, "How long of a journey is it to Gongmen City?" He asked. Leo stared at the ground and thought a moment. He looked at the two,

"It is a three day journey if we do not stop for rest. It will likely take four to five days if we take breaks." Leo glanced at Po, who was talking with his dad. Po, noticing Leo looking over at them, quickly told his dad that he had to go.

"We need to get moving then, as soon as possible." Tigress said. Leo looked back at her and nodded, and walked over to the father and son. He waited politely for their conversation to draw to a close:

"Dad, I'm the Dragon Warrior." Po said, noticing the lion approaching, "It's my job! I have to save Kung Fu, and if I don't, what am I?" He asked his dad, exasperatedly. Leo frowned, but Mr. Ping answered without hesitating:

"You are my son!" Mr. Ping said. Po's mouth fell open. The goose stared nervously at the panda. Leo decided now was the time to interject:

"Po, it is time to go. This journey will be long, and we must make quick time if we are to defeat Shen." Leo said quietly to Po and Mr. Ping. Po nodded and bid a quick farewell to his father before grabbing the travel bag. Leo watched him leave before turning back to the shopkeeper

Mr. Ping, however, was slightly dismayed as his son prepared to leave. The lion smiled kindly to the goose, "Do not worry, Mr. Ping. He will be back before you can say 'noodles'."

With that, the seven animals left the village. Leo Lung, because he had been to Gongmen City in his earlier years, lead the way. The six animals followed behind him. However, Mr. Ping stood in their wake. He stared sadly after the warriors, his beak turned into a frown. He wished so badly that he could protect Po from the harsh world. He knew it would be dangerous. And, while scenarios ran rampant through his mind, he could only bring himself to say one word:

"Noodles..."


	6. The Journey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group of Kung Fu Masters journey to Gongmen City, and Leo reflects on the past.

During Leo Lung's time in voluntary exile when he was younger, he had made the journey to Gongmen City. He had simply gone off of what he had seen in maps and paintings- looking for landmarks and asking for help from locals when he needed it. He had arrived in three days. However, that was when Leo was alone and in the prime of youth. Leo had also made little to no stops back then. This time was much different. The lion now had six other animals to take care off, one of which was a panda who forced the group take a rest break every four or five hours. The seven animals had left two days ago and Leo estimated that they were not even half way there.

The seven animals crossed a desert, a mountain, and even a barren land filled with nothing but rocks. No matter how different the terrains and biomes were, one thing was held in common: Po was not cut out for long distance journeys. Not even a day into their trip, Po had already collapsed, wheezing for air. While Po managed, somehow, to keep up with the team, rest breaks came far too often.

But patience came easy to the lion. Whenever Po collapsed, his chest heaving with every breath, Leo would simply stop and wait for Po to get back up. Tigress, on the other paw, was itching at the bit. Tigress had never been to Gongmen City- none of the Furious Five have- and she seemed eager to tackle the new challenge. She was not intolerant or rude to Po's constant needs, but it was obvious- at least to Leo- that she wanted to get a move on. To her, Shen was just another bad guy. She did not know that Leo Lung was involved with Shen's exiling almost twenty years prior.

Out of fear of lowering moral or increasing the nerves for his team, Leo decided to not tell the other six animals of how he had caused Shen's parents to turn on him. The lion simply decided to keep his secrets to himself.

When the seven animals settled in for their second night, Leo Lung settled on his knees and gazed up at the stars. Gathered in a ragged circle around him, his team began to rest. Po was already in a deep slumber while Viper, Crane, Monkey and Mantis were starting to doze off. Tigress, however, was sitting with her legs crossed. She stared at Leo, and spoke,

"How much longer do you estimate it will take us to get to Gongmen City?" She asked him quietly. Her voice was hushed so that she would not wake her sleeping team mates. Leo Lung sighed as he stared at the barren ground in front of him- they settled on a mountain side.

"It took me three days to get to Gongmen when I went in my youth. But I made no rest stops. I also did not have to look after anyone else." Leo gazed at the other animals, who were starting to snore quietly. A slight smile creased his muzzle. "I don't know how long it will take us now; Po's energy bursts are few and far between; it is difficult to know when he will be full of energy and excited, as opposed to slowing down our pace. However, I believe we are almost halfway there. If we keep a constant, steady pace, we should make it there in less than a week or so."

Tigress nodded slowly as she took in the information. She yawned tiredly. Leo observed this and commented: "You'd better get some sleep. We won't be taking as many breaks tomorrow as we did today, hopefully." He added.

Leo watched as the tiger curled into a loose ball and closed her eyes. He waited until all six of his teammates were fast asleep. When the lion could hear nothing else but crickets and snoring, he looked up at the stars. A band of silver stars stretched across the sky, from horizon to horizon.

Feeling a wave of sleepiness wash over him, Leo leaned back so that he was laying on his back. Darkness soon engulfed the lion's vision, and Leo succumbed to sleep.

...

Three days later

...

After trekking through nearly half of China, the seven animals had finally made it to the river that led to Gongmen Harbor. Leo had talked a local into letting them borrow a boat to travel down the river. It would be much faster to travel downstream than walking, and it would also allow the seven animals to regain their strength and prepare for whatever lay in the harbor city.

Now, Leo stood at the top of the boat. Because this ship did not have a captain to steer it, the lion took it upon himself to guide the boat. It was not hard- the boat drifted harmlessly along downstream. Leo simply had to keep it from crashing into sharp rocks or going ashore onto sandbars.

The moon was at the edge of the mountains. Leo estimated it was about 5 or 6 am. He did not need to worry about sleep, though. He often drifted off into a sort of micro slumber. He would fall into a dreamless sleep, but every time the boat rocked too hard or the wind blew just the wrong way, the lion would be stirred awake.

However, despite the sleepless night, Leo would say that this journey, with Po and the Furious Five, was a definite step up from the last time he went to Gongmen. The lion, despite being in the prime of his youth, had run for 3 days with no stops. He had slowed down to catch his breath, but in the urgency of beating Shen back to the city, Leo decided against taking breaks. His paws and muscles had ached all the way back to his meditation cave. Leo was thankful that he did not have to confront the peacock in battle. His muscles might not have been able to take further burdens. Now, on this trip, Leo was able to travel with his friends. Thanks to Po, he was allowed sleep at night and take breaks during the trip. Of course, that had cost the team several valuable days. But Leo was sure that the Furious Five would also prefer having their full strength over arriving a day or two earlier.

A sudden creak caused Leo to drift back into reality. Somebody was awake. Leo, from his perch at the top of the boat, shifted forward so he could glance at the deck of the boat. It was Po. Confusion clouded Leo's mind. What was Po doing awake so early? The panda could sleep for days if he was allowed to. But Po did not seem to notice the lion. Instead, the panda began to ramble and mutter to himself. A sudden, yet quiet, swish caused Leo to gaze tiredly to his right. There stood Tigress. She looked quietly from Leo to Po.

Tigress motioned for Leo to stand aside. The lion shifted to the side. Below the two of them, Po began rambling on about 'Inner Peace' and 'Radishes'. Leo couldn't put any sense to it. However, Tigress put one of her large paws on the mast, causing a small water droplet to plop onto Po's large head. Po hesitated- he felt it- but he continued his attempts at Inner Peace. Tigress used one of her fingers to tap the mast. Another bead of water hit the panda square in the middle of his head.

This continued for some time until Po began furiously pummeling the mast. A large amount of water splashed mercilessly on Po's head. Tigress smirked quietly, glancing at Leo to see his reaction. The lion, while tired, looked fairly amused as Po ran around shrieking about Inner Peace. Tigress looked back down to him, her yellow eyes gleaming in the dark. She cleared her throat.

Po stopped suddenly, his head lifting to see the two large cats looking down at him from the top of the boat. He was obviously embarrassed. He spoke, "I was...um..training."

"With the mast?" Leo asked incredulously, descending down to the deck. Tigress followed with a quick leap, "The mast is not a worthy opponent!" She said, holding out her paw, palm facing towards Po, "When you are ready."

Leo stood beside the two, watching their training commence. Po looked from Leo to Tigress, "Ok..so serious." He reared his paw back and punched Tigress's palm. The panda yelped and recoiled, "I think I prefer the mast!" He grabbed his paw in pain.

"Apologies. I used to punch the ironwood trees outside the palace to train. Now, I feel nothing." Tigress commented. Leo nodded in approval. He could not count the times he woke up in the morning to find the young tiger assaulting the trees outside.

As Po continued to punch Tigress's paw, Leo watched quietly. Tigress said that it took nearly twenty years to develop callouses on her paws to that degree. Leo nodded in approval- the tiger had been training outside the palace basically since the day she arrived. Of course, Leo Lung was not at the palace when Shifu took Tigress home. It took him several months to come home and meet the young cat. Po asked Tigress if there was an alternative to twenty years of tree punching.

So Tigress grabbed Po's paw and, without any visible effort, spun him in the air and watched, amused, as he crashed to the floor. Leo Lung nodded to Tigress in approval, "Po, would you really like to have callouses on your paws? I'm sure you would love to retain the ability to feel." Leo looked innocently down at the panda.

"Besides, I don't think hard style is your thing." Tigress commented, watching the panda's jiggly belly. Leo Lung helped Po to his feet. Tigress stared directly at the panda, "Po, why are you really out here?"

Po stared ahead of him, a frown creasing his muzzle. Leo and Tigress watched expectantly. Po opened his mouth: "I just found out that my dad is not really my dad."

Both of the big cats' eyes widened. The two glanced at each other, just to confirm that they heard what Po had said. Tigress looked back at Po, "Your dad...the goose?" She asked. Po nodded.

"That must have been...surprising." Leo added quietly. Po nodded again.

"And you are bothered by this?" Tigress asked again, quite bluntly. The large panda brightened slightly, "Are ya kidding? We are warriors! Masters of Kung Fu! Nerves of steel! Souls of platinum! I bet you two can't feel a thing!"

Leo Lung's eyes widened at Po's proclamation. Leo, despite what Po said, could feel. He had feelings. Leo Lung had been scared before. He had been angry, and he had been joyful. He ignored when the panda punched him playfully in the arm. Po recoiled when he hit the hard muscles in the lion's arm.

"Listen, Po, just because we-"

"What are you guys talking about?" Mantis asked, crawling out of the sleeping quarters. Leo closed his mouth and looked over at the rest of the warriors, who were beginning to emerge. They must've heard the commotion.

"Po is having daddy issues." Viper said, casting a glance at Leo and Tigress. Leo shook his head to her, but Mantis spoke up, "Man, I'm so lucky! I've never had any problems with my dad. But..I mean..my Mom ate his head before I was born..yeah." He finished awkwardly. Leo felt compelled to cuff the tiny bug.

"Mantis, this isn't about you!" Viper scolded, ready to cuff the insect with her tail.

Just right Viper said that, a glint of light caught Leo Lung's eyes. While the rest of the Five- minus Tigress- continued talking, Tigress and Leo made their way to the edge of the boat. The two large cats caught sight of multiple buildings. This was it.

"Po! Viper! Mantis! Crane! Monkey!" Leo barked out, turning back towards the warriors. Tigress stared ahead at the port city. The others looked to him: "We have arrived at Gongmen."

Their eyes widened and they all moved to the front to gaze at the harbor city. The sun was just beginning to rise, and the buildings glinted. But one building stood out. It lay in the center of the city, and rose from the ground like a sword. Leo felt a shudder run through his body.

Peacock Tower.


	7. Gongmen City Jail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo Lung and the gang meet with Masters Croc and Ox, and Leo reveals some of his past with Shen.

Dawn at arrived at Gongmen City. The sun was just beginning to crest the horizon. The yellow and golden rays of light turned the water a pretty light pink. The wind blew slowly and calmly, blowing away any remnants of midnight fog from the harbor city. On any other day, this would be a beautiful day to maybe take a walk on the beach or a peaceful ride in a small boat. But there was no such time for that.

Lord Shen stood quietly in the throne room of the palace, on the the top floor of the tower. In front of him sat the golden peacock throne, which his father and his father and his father had sat upon for generations. "My father's throne," He said quietly, staring at the intricate design in every feather of the throne, "he used to let me play here, right beside him, promising one day that this throne would be mine." The peacock reveled in the memory.

"What do you want us to do with it?" A burly gorilla asked, gesturing towards the throne.

"Toss it." Shen said, with a dismissive flick of his wrist.

And with that, the priceless golden throne was thrown from the highest window in the palace. Shen did not bother seeing what happened to it once it reached the bottom. Shen watched with gleeful pride as a pair of large gorillas hauled one of his weapons up the stairs and into the throne room, "Put it on the center pedestal, where the throne once was." Shen whispered, his eyes growing wide as the weapon grew larger as the gorillas hauled it closer.

The gorillas silently obeyed, placing the cannon in the center of the room. "A little to the left." Shen gestured.

"Ah, but it is so heavy, master!" One of the gorillas complained.

Shen scowled, "I have waited an eternity for this moment. I want it exactly as I envisioned it! And I envisioned it a little to the left!" He ordered. The gorillas did not say anything, and silently adjusted the position of the weapon.

"With the weapon by my side," Shen gestured behind him, but stopped suddenly, "A little bit more!" He said to the gorillas. They obeyed wordlessly. "Perfect." Shen commented, "With the weapon by my side, all of China will bow at my talons. We move out in three days, when the moon is full and the tide is high!" He ordered.

With a laugh, Shen turned to the side and caught sight of the Soothsayer. She was sitting near a corner of the room and had her little trinkets and fortune-telling objects gathered around her. The white peacock narrowed his eyes and stalked towards her, "Now, you old goat, why don't you tell me my-"

"Fortune?" The Soothsayer asked. Shen stopped in his tracks, looking at her,

"F-future. I was going to say future. Look into your little bowl there. Tell me what glory awaits." He grinned evilly. The Soothsayer nodded quietly. The older goat began to hum quietly,

"If you continued along your current path," Her eyes rolled upwards and back into her head. Shen's interest and curiosity piqued, and he descended down the stairs to approach her. "You will find yourself at the bottom of the stairs." She said blatantly. Shen stopped suddenly, his foot touching the bottom of the steps. He huffed in annoyance before walking towards her. "I see...I see.." She looked deep into Shen's eyes, "I see pain."

Shen yelped in surprise when a feather from his wing was yanked painfully off. But the elderly goat didn't stop, "I see anger." She lurched forward and took bite out of the white peacock's robes, resulting in him growling in anger, "How dare you!" He seethed, "This is the finest silk in the province!"

"Followed by denial," Soothsayer predicted. Shen glared at her,

"This is not fortune telling! You are just saying what is happening right-"

"Now?" The Soothsayer finished for him. Shen sighed in exasperation. The Soothsayer calmly put both the silken fabric and the torn feather into the bowl. Shen, who was losing interest watched as the Soothsayer spoke, "The most important time is now." Smoke began to rise from the bowl, "But if you want to see your future." Shen asked, "What do you see?"

"A peacock..." The Soothsayer observed, watching the smoke take the form of a peacock, "Will be defeated by a warrior of black and white." A yinyang symbol overtook the peacock. The watching soldiers in the back shrunk in fear. "Nothing has changed, Shen." The Soothsayer said.

Anger quickly replacing his curiosity, Shen grabbed one of his throwing knives and used it to smash the bowl, regardless of its contents. Shen pivoted in place and used his large tail feathers to fan the smoke away. He glared at the Soothsayer before speaking, "That is impossible and you know it!"

"It is not impossible...and he knows it." Soothsayer said.

"Who?" Shen glared at the rest of his soldiers, who all glanced at the ground in submission and fear. A sudden pounding of footsteps coming up the stairs caused Shen to glare in that direction. Suddenly Alpha, the commander of Shen's pack, burst into the room, panting wildly, "Lord Shen!" He exclaimed, "I saw it! I saw a panda!"

Shen shrieked in anger, "A panda?!" He lunged forward, his metallic talons wrapping around Alpha's thick furred neck. Alpha whimpered when Shen tightened the grip,  
"He fought like a demon!" The wolf said, "He was a kung fu warrior! Soft and cuddly, kinda plush." He growled. Shen glared angrily in Alpha's eyes,

"All of the pandas are dead." He snarled to the wolf, his grip on Alpha's neck tightening.

"Even with his poor eyesight, he can see the truth. Why is it that you can not?" Soothsayer used her cane to tap on Alpha's injured eye. She looked at the peacock curiously. Shen stole a glance at her, but looked back at Alpha,

"Go! Find this panda," He said slowly, "And bring him to me." He flung the wolf away, forcing himself to remain calm. The wolf nodded and galloped down the stairs.

"So one panda lives." He said offhandedly to Soothsayer, "That does not make you right."

"You're right." She said, rather smugly, "Being right makes me right."

Shen turned away, not giving Soothsayer the pleasure of seeing him confused at her words, "Then I will kill him, and make you wrong." However, the sound of chewing and the slight tug on his robes caused him to turn back. Soothsayer was methodically chewing the hem of his robes. Shen snatched the robe out of her mouth,

"Will you stop that?!"

A tiny boat arrived quietly in the harbor. Seven animals stood on the deck, their muscles tense as they prepared to leap onto the roof of a nearby building. The boat drifted closer to the building, and the animals, led by Leo Lung, leapt one by one onto the structure. The warriors began scaling the wall and clambered onto the roof. From their perch, they could see across the entire city.

"There!" Leo whispered loudly, motioning towards the large tower jutting up from the ground, "That is Gongmen Tower. If Shen is going to make base here, Gongmen Tower is our best bet." The others followed his gaze and stared at the palace.

"So let's get going!" Po exclaimed, "We'll barge into the palace, yell 'We are the Dragon Warrior, Master Leo Lung and the Furious Five; we are here to bring you to justice!'" The panda began to jump off the roof, but Master Mantis quickly grabbed Po's foot and yanked him backwards.

"What are you doing? This place is crawling with wolves!" He exclaimed.

Now that Mantis had mentioned it, the dark grey wolves were impossible to miss now. Wolves with slate grey fur patrolled the streets, snarling and snapping at any villager who dared make eye contact. Leo huffed in annoyance, and spoke quietly, "These wolves are everywhere. If there is so much as a rumor of us being in the city, Shen will put all of the wolves on high alert. We need to get to the palace without being seen."

"Isn't the guy that hammered you in the face?" Mantis asked. Confused, Leo looked to him. But the insect was talking to Po. Mantis gestured to a large grey wolf that stood out among the pack. Indeed, it was.

"I do not like that guy." Po said, glaring at him. Tigress quietly put a paw on Po's shoulder. Leo saw this and narrowed his eyes, but Tigress spoke before the lion could say anything,

"We can't be spotted by those wolves."

"Got it! Stealth mode." Po said excitedly.

The group of warriors slid carefully down the roof and climbed up to the next building. As they began to climb from rooftop to rooftop, all of them took careful precautions to stay out of sight. Leo led the kung fu warriors. Leo's ear twitched when he heard the sharp growl of a wolf. Alerted, Leo whipped his head around. Luckily, the wolf had not seen them- but Po was not behind him!

Leo's eyes narrowed, "Where is Po?!" He whisper yelled to the team. The rest of them glanced about, but the panda was no where in sight.

"How do you lose a guy that big?" Mantis asked no one in particular.

"There is his..." Tigress muttered, her voice seeping with embarrassment. Then Leo saw it. A big, fat, clumsy dragon costume that was almost like a parade costume was bumping and plodding along. At some point, the dragon bumped into a fireworks stall, somehow setting off a blaze of firecrackers. The dragon quickly glanced at the mess and scurried away. There were panda legs carrying it.

Leo cringed and held his face in his paw. The rest of the team was absolutely gobsmacked. Leo muttered, "Come on, everyone." He leapt down into the street and swooped under the costume. The rest of the Five followed.

"Hey, Po." Monkey said, coming up directly behind Po. The panda yelped quietly, using his large fist to hit Monkey square in the face. Monkey cried out. Po apologized. With all seven animals in the costume, Po was in the front, then Monkey, Viper, Mantis, Crane, Tigress, and Leo Lung bringing up the rear.

"About that stealth mode, Po." Leo said, across the shoulders of the other animals.

"Yeah, sorry! Not one of my stronger... modes." Po said, not exactly ashamed.

Leo huffed, "Watch where you are going, Po." The panda nodded and turned back around, only to spot a grey wolf holding sheep up with one paw,

"My rice is raw!" He snarled to the sheep.

"I'm sorry! You stole all my metal pans for Lord Shen!" The sheep bleated out weakly, holding her hooves up in defense.

"Do something Po!" Crane urged.

"How am I supposed to help cook rice without g- wait. I have an idea!" Po exclaimed. The rest of the team followed close behind as Po led the costume towards the wolf. He used the long, forked tongue of the dragon to tap the wolf on the shoulder.

"Hey." Po said.

"Hey." The wolf replied. Then a bolt of realization hit the wolf. His ears perked up and he turned back suddenly, only to be met with Po's fist. The wolf cried out, and Po dragged the wolf inside the costume, all while the sheep watched. Then the wolf was passed from animal to animal, as each of the kung fu warriors gave the wolf a thorough beating before passing him on to whomever was behind them. When the wolf reached Leo Lung, the lion used his large head to headbutt the wolf and knock him unconscious. When Leo knew that the wolf was out cold, he tossed the wolf out into the streets from underneath the dragon's tail.

"We are here to liberate the city and bring Lord Shen to justice!" Po said to the sheep, who had gotten up to watch in awe.

"You will need help." She said eagerly, glancing back and forth.

"Oh no, brave sheep, but it is too dangerous."

"No!" She whispered quietly, "Not me. It is not safe to speak in the open streets!"

"Right.." Po said. Thinking quickly, he opened the mouth of the costume and...ate the sheep. Someone screamed in the distance. The citizen spoke quickly.

"I am talking about Masters Croc and Ox. They are in Gongmen Jail in Black Dragon Alley."

"Black Dragon Alley.." Leo murmured from the back.

"Do you know where that is?" Tigress asked quietly, while Po was still talking to the sheep. Leo shook his head and frowned.

Suddenly a shout erupted behind the dragon, "Stop that costume!"

"Run!" Leo hissed. Po took off like a rabbit. All seven animals crowded under the costume. Po turned left and right, and Leo, in the very rear, scrabbled to keep up with the panda's spontaneous twists and turns. Po knocked over barrels and climbed over an apple cart. Leo saw the cart and sidekicked it towards a small pack of wolves,

"Take that!"

As Po continued running, they emerged in a courtyard. At least four wolves surrounded them, based on what Leo could see from inside the costume. Suddenly Po 'grabbed' one of the wolves with the costume mouth. The rest of the six animals, including Leo, gave the wolf a quick pummeling. Another wolf followed right after that one.

Leo angled himself towards the two other wolves and 'spat' his two unconscious wolves towards the enemies. All four wolves were tossed backwards, defeated. Another body was passed towards him. Leo tossed it out. His alarm suddenly spiked when he saw that it was Monkey. But there was no time to hesitate. Po took off running again, and Monkey caught up with them. He slipped under the tail of the costume and started running with Po.

Po began weaving through the streets, taking in wolves through the costume's mouth. The wolves, in seconds, were pummeled by each member of the Furious Five. When the wolf was unconscious, Leo spat out the canine from under the costumes tail. It was an effective system. However, when Po managed to find Black Dragon Alley, a pack of the slate grey wolves swarmed in from all angles. Leo pointed to nearby barrels, "Slip under the costume, and into the barrels!"

Po, quickly catching on with the idea, leapt the costume over to a box of cabbage and other vegetables, so that by each animals feet was a crate of the food. Then, one by one, with speed like lightning, all of the animals slipped into an empty barrel.

With not a second to spare, Alpha snarled and brandished a large sword. The pack of wolves surrounded the empty. "Now!" He growled. The pack of ten or so wolves stabbed the costume. From where he was crouched in his barrel, Leo peaked out through a gap in the wood. He watched as the costume was flipped over. Alpha stared angrily at the crates and snarled. He turned to his lackeys and growled, "Spread out! Search everywhere! They could not have gotten far!"

Leo huffed a sigh of relief as all the wolves dispersed. When the last wolf left his sight, he kicked out the bottom of the barrel and used it to walk. He led the way into the alley and, once he was around the corner and out of sight, he climbed out of and discarded the barrel. He shook his mane out, huffing about how cramped it was in the barrel.

Then, around the corner rolled Po. Tigress, who climbed out of her barrel, stopped the rolling barrel.

"We are close!" He commented, "I can feel a Kung Fu chill riding up my spine."

"Sorry, Po, that's just me." Viper said apologetically. Leo looked upwards. Tigress followed his gazed and smiled,

"Look! Gongmen Jail!"

But when Po clambered out of his barrel, Leo spoke up, "There will be guards at the entrance. Mantis, care to take them out?" He asked the tiny insect. The tiny barrel with insect legs sticking out the bottom twitched in acknowledgement. The tiny barrel rolled around the corner. Leo, Tigress, Po, Crane, Monkey, and Viper waited as Mantis went to dispatch the guards.

"Aww, it's cute!" A voice said. Less than five seconds later, the sound of wood breaking and snapping filled Leo's ears.

"Cute?!" Mantis erupted. Leo heard a scuffle, then two dull thuds, like bodies hitting the floor. Leo risked peeking his head around the corner, and smiled at the sight. Mantis had knocked both of the wolves unconscious. He approached the entrance, the rest of the team quietly following.

"Good work, Mantis." The lion dipped his head in respect. Mantis smiled, and tossed two large nearby barrels on top of the wolves, effectively hiding them.

Tigress moved ahead and punched the door open. The seven warriors swarmed into the building. Four guards waited for them inside. Crane swooped in, down the stairs, and kicked one guard over a balcony. Tigress and Leo, in unison, leapt down the stairs and dispatched two of the guards. Po joined them. A wolf charged at the panda from behind. Po, without even looking backhanded the wolf. Leo nodded and leapt down the prison itself below, where one of the wolf guards lay unconscious.

"At the first sign of trouble, I will give you a signal: Ka-kaw ka-kee!" Monkey said, perching on a fence.

"You mean like Crane?" Po asked. Monkey nodded enthusiatically,

"Yes!"

Leo looked at Tigress, who joined him with Po by her side. As Leo searched the cells for the two masters, Po suddenly shouted in excitement: "The Ferocious Master Croc! And Master Storming Ox!" Po grabbed onto their jail bars in exhilaration. "I can't believe we are rescuing actual legends of Kung Fu! Do not worry! We are gonna free you from these bars of injustice, no problem! There has gotta be a key around here somewhere..."

"He-yah!" With a mighty shout, Tigress broke the door off of its hinges.

"Oh, great!" Po exclaimed, "You found it!" He turned and walked off, "We are coming for you Shen! Woo hoo!" However, when Po turned and saw that Croc and Ox remained melancholy in their cell, his happiness visibly faltered.

Leo moved to stand beside Tigress, glancing at Croc and Ox. The concern was visible in his eyes.

"Hey guys!" Po said, walking up to the entrance of the cell, "What's going on? Are you coming? Don't you want to take back your city or not?"

"Of course we do!" Master Ox grunted. "But if we fight, Lord Shen will turn the weapon on the city!"

"Listen to yourself! You are protecting Gongmen City by not protecting Gongmen City?" Po glared at them in confusion. "If we fight back-" Po stepped forward.

"Then the weapon will kill everyone!" Master Ox snorted at Po, securing the unhinged door back in its place. "Why don't you ask Master Leo Lung how dangerous Shen is?"

Leo's back stiffened. Every eye in the room, even Monkey, who was supposed to stand guard, turned to him. Leo inhaled and looked at Po.

"Master Leo? Have you met Lord Shen?"

"He has." Master Croc said quietly from the cell. "Everyone in Gongmen knows that story."

"Have I met Shen in combat? No." Leo answered slowly. "But yes, I have seen and talked to Lord Shen." Tigress, who was usually calm, had her eyes widened by a fraction of an inch, and her mouth was slightly agape. "Even twenty years ago, when Shen and I were younger, he was still a dangerous mastermind. He knows what he is up against and he knows what he is doing. A full frontal attack would not work-"

"Then we will use a sneak attack!" Po exclaimed, leaping inside the cell and moving behind Master Ox.

"Po! Will you listen-" Leo asked.

"You will be stopped!" Master Croc growled, "By the unstoppable weapon." The two masters picked up the door and shoved Po out.

"There is nothing unstoppable except for me stopping you from telling me nothing is unstoppable!" Po exclaimed. Leo huffed in annoyance and glanced at Tigress in exasperation. Tigress's facial expression was unreadable. A small scuffle broke out between the three warriors. A one point, Master Croc was pushed out of the cell. Leo Lung glared at him. The crocodile rapped his claws sheepishly against the door.

"Master Ox! I am getting you out of this cell!"

"I'd like to see you try!" The large bull bellowed.

Then, the fight was back on. The door was swinging back and forth, sucking Master Croc back in. Po was thrown out of the door and nearly collided with Tigress. She coolly grabbed a hold of him and flipped him right side up and back towards the two older Masters.

"You see that? It's called being awesome! Come on, you guys. Whatever happened to being heroes?"

"The only hero in this town is a dead one." Croc hissed.

Po leapt back at them. The three warriors began fighting again, and the door spun horizontally once more. Leo growled, "We don't have time for this." He watched in annoyance as the scuffle ensued.

"Like I said, you are not getting me out of this cell!" Ox shouted.

Except they were. Both Masters Croc and Ox were standing next to Master Leo and Tigress. The steel jail door crumbled from the abuse that the past five minutes that put it through. Po, who was inside the cell and saw that both Masters were outside the cell, cheered in glee. Masters Croc and Ox turned and moved towards a cell right across from it.

However, Leo Lung moved in front of them. "While I may know how dangerous Shen is, we are going to need all the help we can get. You aren't helping anyone but yourselves by rotting away in these cells."

"It's better to know that we didn't start the utter destruction of Gongmen City than to live with the guilt if we did." Ox said to Leo. He gently pushed the lion out of the way, and the two warriors entered the cell. Croc claimed top bunk.

Leo sighed in defeat. Po ran up to the cell as Ox closed the door.

"It is time to surrender. Kung Fu is dead." The large ox said sullenly. Leo hung his head. Tigress and the Five are equally as shocked.

"Kung Fu is.. w-wha..?" Po said, his sense of victory deflating. He grew frustrated, "Fine! Stay in your cell! Your prison of fear, with bars of shame and three square meals a day of..." Po thought for a minute, "hopelessness!"

"With despair for dessert?" Croc asked. Leo snarled quietly. Po stepped away from the cell.

"We will take on Shen! We will prove to all who hunger for justice and honor that Kung Fu still lives!" He cheered. Some miserable prisoner in the back also cheered.

A sudden crash of a door bursting open alerted the warriors. However, the door was not the main entrance. Alpha and two of his packmates charged into the room. Po, seeing this, glared at Monkey, "Monkey?!"

"Ka-kaa.." He said, defeatedly.

"You! Your mine!" Po exclaimed to Alpha.

"I'll tell you what will be yours: My fist in your plush, cuddly, super soft face!" He snarled. However, Crane, Monkey, and Leo Lung leapt into action. Crane and Monkey attacked and disabled the two underlings in front of Alpha. Leo fell onto all fours and charged at Alpha. He leapt into the air and collided with the wolf, pinning him to the ground.

"Uh oh.." Alpha's eyes widened. Leo placed a paw on Alpha's throat and looked to Po,

"What do you suggest, Dragon Warrior?" Leo asked, his tail twitching.

"Woohoo! Good job Master Leo! We need to get to that tower!"

Leo nodded curtly. He turned to Alpha and growled, "Take us to that palace, before you go blind in your other eye."

Alpha was quiet for a moment. He glanced at his two lackeys, who were beginning to regain consciousness. Leo flexed his claws and growled. His mane bristled. Alpha gulped, and then sighed.

"Alright. Let me up. I will take you to Lord Shen." Leo nodded and let the wolf stand. However, Leo glared at Alpha,

"If you make any sudden movements- even so much as a flinch-"

"Ok, ok!" Alpha growled. The wolf led the way out of the door.

"Nice work, Master Leo!" Po said to him. Leo nodded to Po.

The ten animals, with Alpha in the lead and his two lackeys bringing up the rear, left the jail. They headed into the city.

{It is time to face Shen.} Leo Lung thought to himself. {Time to face my past.}


	8. The White Peacock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo Lung confronts Lord Shen, and the two have their first go at each other after several decades.

The journey to Peacock Tower quiet, at least on Leo's part. The lion kept quiet. He moved right behind Alpha. Leo tried his best to not look like a prisoner. Despite the fact that Alpha had called on four more wolf soldiers- now Leo and the other Jade Palace warriors were surrounded by six wolves- Leo maintained a dignified persona about him.

As they walked through the town, many citizens in the street stopped and looked at Leo. Leo did not glance at any of them, but that did not stop them Hushed whispers floated through the air:

"It's Leo Lung of the Jade Palace!"

"Has he come to exile Shen again?"

"Does Shen know he is here?"

"Where are Masters Croc and Ox?

"And look! It is Po, the Dragon Warrior!"

"We are freed!"

Tigress approached Leo, "It seems you have built a reputation here." She whispered quietly, "What have you done that the citizens know you by name?" She asked, watching as the citizens gazed at the large lion.

"It has to do with Lord Shen. You will very likely find that out before the day is over."

When the group arrived at the gates of the tower, all of the Jade Palace warriors were in shock about the sheer number of wolves guarding the building. At least one hundred to one hundred fifty wolves lined the top of the wall alone. Each of them were armed with a loaded bow and a quiver full of arrows. Many more wolves swarmed to the palace. The warriors were outnumbered.

Leo inhaled deeply when he saw what was up ahead. There was a large crater at the base of the tower. At the other end of the crater lay a hammer that could only belong to Master Rhino. Leo Lung's heart sank. Behind him, Po gasped sorrowfully while Tigress narrowed her eyes in confusion and sadness while the rest of the five gazed on in horror and sadness.

Alpha tapped the hammer in mock pity. The large wolf let out a chuckle, "Cuff them! Shen wants them disabled but alive!"

Leo Lung winced in pain as a wolf placed acupuncture cuffs on his wrists. The wolf glared at him and snarled, "Lord Shen will be happy to see you."

"I'm honored." Leo muttered in return.

"Eight-point acupuncture cuffs!" Po exclaimed, "Just like the ones used on Tai Lung! They grow tighter with every move you ma- ah OW!" He exclaimed in pain as a wolf hooked a staff around his cuffs and pulled the panda forward.

"What is your plan, Dragon Warrior?" Leo heard Tigress mumble quietly to Po. The panda hummed in consideration, "It's good. It's going to work!"

As the group was escorted into the building, Alpha trotted on ahead to inform Shen of their arrival. Leo gazed at the stairs that Alpha was ascending. Po stared at the stairs, "My old enemy...stairs!" Po's eyes grew wide. Leo huffed, and began climbing.

...

When the group neared the top, Leo held his head high and forced his fur to remain flat. The gorilla carrying Po- Po had collapsed out of pure exhaustion four flights ago- moved towards the front.

Tigress glanced at Leo Lung nervously, but she, nor any of the other Five members, said nothing. Leo stood in place and allowed the Furious Five to advance ahead of him. Leo now brought up the rear; he only moved when a wolf poked his back with a spear. Leo hissed at him but moved. The gorilla emerged onto the top floor and tossed Po unceremoniously onto the floor. The rest of the warriors followed.

"Thanks for...carrying me...those last few flights..Ok." Po tried to catch his breath. "I threw up a bit on the third floor. Somebody might want to clean that up." Po heaved for breath. The gorilla snorted and stomped off.

Leo kept towards the back. In the center of the room stood the white peacock himself, with Alpha by his side. Behind Shen, a very large cannon that was three times the size of Leo himself. Standing next the the weapon, Shen radiated nobility. He looked like the picture of royalty and pride. Leo was sure that that facade would disappear once the peacock saw the lion. However, Shen was not looking for Leo. His eyes were on Po. {Thank goodness..} He thought.

"Greeting, panda! We meet aga-" Shen began nobly.

"Hey." Po said quickly. Leo narrowed his eyes.

Shen, who was standing tall with pride, visibly deflated, "H-hey.." He was obviously caught off guard by Po's obvious nonchalantness.

An old soothsayer approached Po. She spoke to Po: "You've grown up bigger than I'd thought." She examined him. Leo's ears pricked. He remembered her! She was in the palace that day when Shen was exiled. Would she remember him?

"Excuse me sir, I don't know who you are, but please step aside-" Po said to the Soothsayer.

"That's a lady!" Viper hissed to him. Po did a double take and Leo nearly face palmed.

"Oh..sorry. The beard kind of threw me off. Very misleading.. that's like false advertising." Po commented. The Soothsayer smiled and stroked her beard, clearly amused.

"Enough of this nonsense!" Shen shouted, calling the attention of all of the warriors, "Bring the prisoners to me." As the warriors were shoved forward, Leo Lung entered the light of the center of the room. He locked his eyes on Shen, hoping now for his attention.

Shen, feeling the lion's gaze, turned his head to the side and caught sight of the asian lion. His red eyes widened in Leo thought was disbelief. The lion stood up and inhaled deeply. Shen's beak fell open.

"Do you remember me, Lord Shen?" Leo Lung asked, his voice projecting clearly around the entire room. Po, as well as the Five, turned to look at him. Shen was quiet for a moment, then his expression darkened with hatred. Po, who just caught sight of the giant cannon in the center of the room, felt his mouth hang open as the lion confronted the peacock.

"How could I forget? How could I forget the one animal who turned my parents and my city against me?" Shen said quietly, running one of his feather fingers over a throwing knife of his.

"What is he talking about, Master Leo?" Po asked naively.

"Oh, you do not know?" Shen said, "I will tell you!" Shen crowed, "I was on a path to greatness. I had my whole life made. I was going to become the Lord of Gongmen City. And then Leo Lung of the Jade Palace comes along and turns my parents against me. That lion manipulated them! He made them hate me- their only son!" Shen said angrily, "They exiled me. Do you want to know whose fault it is?" Shen asked, "It is his!"

Leo bristled, "You destroyed an innocent panda village. You brought that hate upon yourself."

"Wait? What panda village?!" Po shouted in confusion, "I thought he just stole pots and pans!?"

Leo did not break his gaze with Lord Shen. However, he flicked his ear towards the panda in acknowledgement, "Twenty years ago, Lord Shen destroyed a panda village out of pure selfishness, and, doing what I had to, I relayed that information to his parents, the Lord and Lady of Gongmen City. I only brought your crimes to light!"

Shen shrieked and unsheathed his knife, slicing it across the air and across Leo Lung's cheek and muzzle. The Furious Five and Po gasped quietly, waiting to see Leo's reaction. But the lion remained still. Blood began seeping from the cut on his face. Shen leapt forward and aimed his knife straight at Leo Lung's chest. But the lion, with his paws still cuffed behind his back, side stepped. He watched as the knife glided harmlessly past him. Leo thrust his head forward, making contact with Shen and causing him to stumble backwards.

The Furious Five and Po watched, wide-eyed. However, behind Tigress, Viper used this opportunity to try and use her tail to pick the lock on Tigress's cuffs.

Shen lunged at Leo, his knifes held at the ready. Leo leapt into the air and roundhouse kicked the peacock in the chest. Shen stepped backward to get his footing. Leo's wrists tugged at his restraints, and his claws flexed. The pins in the cuffs dug into his skin, causing Leo to wince in pain. But Shen did not hesitate. He front kicked the lion in the chest, and grabbed his sharpest knife. Leo planted a foot behind him and tried to move out of the way, but the peacock was faster. Shen plunged the knife in Leo's stomach.

"No!" Somebody cried. It might have been Tigress or Po or anyone else in the room. Leo felt the world quiet around him. He stared at Shen in surprise, and looked down at the silver knife sticking out of his abdomen. Shen yanked the knife roughly from Leo and front kicked Leo on his head. The lion collapsed to the ground, a quiet whimper escaping his lips. Shen stared at the lion, his pristine white feathers now dappled red. He wondered whether he should finish the job. However, the peacock regained his composure: "Take aim. Kill them all."

A gorilla roughly dragged Leo to the rest of the warriors. Leo winced as he tried to hide the pain that originated in his stomach. He panted heavily and lay on his side, staring weakly up at the large weapon in front of him. Behind them, the balcony door windows were opened. Tigress stared sadly at Leo while Po was simply dumbfounded from the mention of a panda village.

Shen stared triumphantly at the group of prisoners. To him, they were simple little roadblocks that would be destroyed soon. His eyes widened in exhilaration and anticipation: "Fire!"

Leo winced and braced for the impact. He prepared for the pain and perhaps the wind rushing through his mane as he was blasted out of the top floor of the tower. He prepared to feel the hard stone road instantly breaking his neck. Maybe he would see Tai Lung and Oogway once again.

However, nothing happened. Leo knew almost nothing about the weapon despite how dangerous it was, but he figured it should have fired by now. Something was wrong. Shen knew this too: "Well?! Light the..thing!" He shrieked to Alpha, who had a torch and was attempting to light the fuse.

"I-I did!" Alpha said weakly. Every time the fuse a lit, a flash of green put it out faster than the eye can see. Alpha tried again and again, until suddenly the torch was snatched out of his hand. Mantis grabbed the torch and kicked Alpha away from the weapon;

"Fear the bug!" He shouted. Leo smiled weakly. Shen's beak dropped in disbelief. He whipped around and looked at the little cage the Po held. There was a decoy Mantis inside! Po laughed confidently.

"I got it!" Viper shouted. Tigress's cuffs suddenly unlatched. With a loud roar, Tigress freed every other member of the team, including Leo. Crane, his wings now free, used a powerful gust of wind to blow the nearby gorilla and wolf soldiers away.

Leo tried to stand up but a paw was placed on his shoulder. It was Tigress, "Stay down, Master Leo. We can handle this." The two met eyes and Leo nodded and smiled, placing his faith in the tiger. Leo crawled over to a nearby column and used it help support him.

"Get the weapon!" Po shouted. Tigress leapt upward and came down towards the mouth of the weapon, flipping the weapon upward. Mantis kicked the weapon towards the floor. The weapon crashed onto the ground and kept going. The floor broke underneath it, and the weapon fell several hundred feet to the ground below.

Po sprang into action, leaping straight at Shen with an angry battle cry. The peacock, remembering well Soothsayer's prophecy, stumbled backwards. A sudden crash erupted from the bottom of the tower. The weapon had hit the bottom floor of the tower and broke into pieces. The Furious Five cheered. Leo Lung, using one paw to clutch his bleeding stomach and the other to hold onto a column for support, smiled with pride at the team.

Nearby, Po landed almost directly on top of Shen, nearly crushing the hollow-boned peacock. Shen flinched and unfurled his tail feathers, a shock of red and white. But, instead of attacking, Po backed up. He hesitated.

A mother running away from her crying infant. A white peacock wielding a lance in front of a burning building.

"Po! Snap out of it!" Leo cried weakly. Po shook his head. The panda, grinding his teeth in anger, lunged at Shen, trying to grab his wings before he retreated or counterattacked. The rest of the Furious Five leapt into action, swarming towards Shen as they remembered Leo Lung. Shen, realizing the desperateness of his situation, writhed in Po's grasp. He kicked out with his talons, scratching Po on the wrist and arm. Po cried out and let the peacock go.

Shen whipped around and rushed towards the nearest open balcony. Without a second of hesitation, Shen leapt off the balcony and flew towards a factory in the distance. The peacock crowed, almost mocking the fact that he had gotten away unharmed.

"He got away!" Tigress hissed angrily.

"Hey, at least we destroyed the weapon." Mantis said. Leo limped over towards them. Tigress turned and her eyes softened. Leo saw this, and responded,

"Shen is still alive, but w-"

A flurry of blasts erupted in the distance. All of the animals looked towards the factory. At least five more cannons lined the edge of the factory.

"Ah, no, he's got way more." Mantis said defeatedly.

"Evacuate the building!" Leo said urgently.

Fireballs rocketed towards the tower. The seven animals rushed towards the staircase right as the cannonballs exploded into the tower. The whole building shook, and Leo fell to his knees in pain. The warriors were blown backwards. Po stumbled forward and nearly fell into the chasm that the now destroyed weapon created. But Viper quickly grabbed him and held him steady, "Help me up!" She cried.

"No! Get him down! Use the ropes." Tigress said quickly. Leo caught on to her idea and limped towards the chasm. He placed his paw on his stomach. It felt sticky with blood. Tigress saw him and ran over to him, "Come on, Master! There is no time to hesitate."

Leo looked at her and nodded, taking a breath before leaping into the great hole. Tigress followed. Leo grabbed a hanging rope and slid down to the bottom floor. Leo felt his paw begin to heat up with rope burn and he winced.

As the animals reached the bottom Leo pointed to an open door, "There!" All of the animals rushed towards the door right as another volley of cannonballs hit the building. Leo leapt towards the entrance right as the building began to collapse. A wave of cold, fresh air hit his face. But the sound of crumbling wood caused Leo to turn.

He had escaped, but the rest of the team was trapped inside! He heard Tigress shouting orders inside. A sudden growl caused Leo to turn around. A whole pack of at least fifty wolves approached, all of them snapping and growling. Leo looked from the wolves to the tower then back to the wolves. A voice in Leo's head told him to run. He was already very injured, and these wolves outnumbered him. He would die if he tried to fight.

The building groaned and began to fall towards Leo and the wolves. Alarm spiking in his mind, Leo turned tail and fell onto all fours. He ran as fast as he could. The wound on his stomach began to bleed again, and Leo felt tears prick his eyes from the pain. Blood began dripping onto the ground, leaving a trail for the wolves. The wolves began to charge at him. A large wall stood in Leo's path. Bunching his muscles, Leo leapt upwards and grabbed the stone, heaving himself upwards.

Leo clambered over the wall and collapsed on the other side with a pained gasped. He whimpered and grabbed his stomach in pain, feeling the wet blood on his paw. A sudden crash rang out throughout the city. Dust and debris flew over the wall. The lion's ears pricked. Leo limped over to a nearby building and slowly climbed to the top off it. He used his paw to put pressure on his wound, but he felt light-headed and tried to focus on the scene before him.

Gongmen Tower has fallen perpendicular to the way that Leo had fled. Leo squinted, but he could not see Tigress or any other members of his team. A wave of defeat and tiredness washed over Leo, and he slid off of the building onto the pavement below.

"That looks like it hurt." A sudden, accented voice commented from the dark.

Leo straightened, "Who is there?" He growled. It could have been one of Shen's commanders. It could have been Alpha, taunting him before striking him down. Leo bared his fangs to the darkness.

A large figure emerged into the light of the moon. It was a hoofed creature with great, branching horns sticking out of his head. He looked like a goat, but he was much too big.

"My name is Milu. Do you need help? With your wound, I mean?" He asked. The deer- Milu- had beige fur with brown fur around his neck, almost like a mane. Milu noticed Leo scanning him, and spoke up, "I am a wapiti, if you were wondering. I am also a doctor where I come from. That wound looks nasty. Let me help." The wapiti gestured towards the bleeding wounds on Leo's face and stomach.

Leo pursed his lips. Leo did not know whether or not to trust this stranger who claims to be a doctor. This Milu could be a warrior of Shen's for all he knew. But right now, he was stranded from his team in a foreign city, while also wounded. The lion nodded reluctantly.

Milu walked over to Leo and allowed him to lean on his sturdy shoulder. Leo smiled appreciatively, and Milu walked him back towards his home, a one-floored little home with a warm light emitted from it. There was only one room. A little stove and sink full of water sat in one corner, and there was a couch in the back corner. A desk with a lit lantern sat in the third corner. In the fourth corner stood a table with what Leo assumed to be medical and doctoral supplies.

"I was born in China, but I grew up in Siberia." Milu said as they entered his home, "So forgive me if my...traditions are different than yours."

Leo Lung nodded, "I am Leo Lung, of the Jade Palace."

"Ah, I have heard of you." Milu said, his accent clear, "Many civilians in the market spoke of you today. You are like a celebrity..yes? Come, sit down so I may fix your wound." Milu gestured towards a reclining couch.

"I wish." Leo winced as he sat down. Milu wet a rag in a basin of water, and wrung it out. When the wapiti began cleaning, Leo spoke some more to try and distract himself from the pain, "Lord Shen has taken over Gongmen. My team and I were- ah!" Leo hissed and flexed his claws when Milu brushed the rag over the stab wound. Milu stopped and looked at him

"Мои извенения. My apologies." Milu said in his native language, "Do continue with your story."

"We were supposed to bring Shen to justice. But Shen and I have... a history.. we fought. He stabbed me." Milu nodded as Leo gave him the information. "Shen escaped and used his weapons to destroy the building. My team and I were separated when the building collapsed." He finished.

Milu snorted in acknowledgement. He stood and moved to the water basin to clean his rag. Leo watched silently as Milu then used the wet, now clean rag to clean his medical equipment. Leo spoke up, "How long is this going to take? I need to meet back with my team. They are likely wondering where I am."

"I need to stitch up your wound. I also do not want you out fighting, you will open your wound. I would like to watch you this next day." Milu said, examining a suturing needle.

Leo groaned, "My team needs me. I than-"

"If you leave now, your wound could be infected." Milu turned to him. The wapiti's antlers grazed against the ceiling. "You could very well die. Please think smart." Milu's accent grew thicker as the urgency in his voice grew.

Leo sighed. The doctor was right. He leaned back on the couch and braced himself as Milu approached with his suture kit.


	9. The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of the Peacock Tower battle

Tigress lowered herself to the floor of the falling tower. The hackles on the back of her neck rose as another volley of fireballs crashed into the building. She rushed to help Monkey, who had been crushed by Po in their hasty descent to the bottom of the tower,

"Come on, everybody!" She called. The front entrance was wide open! Master Leo Lung, though he was terribly injured from one of Shen's knives, led the way. The lion leapt through the door right as large wooden and metal beams came down across the entry way. Tigress gasped in horror, not knowing if he had been crushed or made it out on the other side.

"We're trapped in here!" Po cried out, his eyes wide and panicked.

But the groaning of the building alerted her that there was no time to lose. With their leader now either dead or alive but gone, Tigress took command. She turned to the team, "Follow me! We need to get out of here!"

Tigress ran up the first flight of stairs and kicked at the wall, easily knocking back the wall and being greeted by the rush of the night air. She felt a twinge of happiness as they made it outside to a balcony. The building began groaning and swaying dangerously. Tigress's eyes widened as she spotted a line of archers on the palace walls. But, looking past the walls, Tigress saw the city. An idea formulated in her head.

Flawlessly catching an arrow aimed right between her eyes, Tigress regrouped with her team, "The only way out is up!" When she was met with nothing but confused glances, she grabbed Po's upper arm and pulled him outside. Using her mighty biceps and triceps, the tiger swung Po upwards. The momentum caused her to fly up with him to the next level of the building.

Monkey, Viper, Crane, and Mantis quickly caught on and began climbing the building with them. The building shook violently and began to topple over. Tigress and Po used each other as momentum to keep throwing themselves upwards story after story. As the building began to fall, the steep angle became more level. Scaling the massive building became easier, "We can run! Run to the top!" Tigress yowled.

As all of the animals neared the top, Tigress growled out an order, "Prepare to jump!" Cannonballs and arrows, both lit with red hot fire, whizzed past her; she could feel the heat. The angle of the building was less than 45 degrees now, and they reached the top of the tower. Tigress bunched her muscles and leapt with all her might.

All six animals, even Po, cleared the outer wall. Arrows flew past them. A rooftop came into view and Tigress placed her paws before her. She landed neatly on the roof and leapt to the next roof over, then down into the street and out of sight.

Mantis, then Crane, then Monkey, then Viper, and lastly Po joined her in the streets. Without waiting for their comment, Tigress began running on all four limbs back towards Gongmen Jail. She thought to herself while running, {If Master Leo is alive, he likely would have met back at the jail to find us.} She shook her head. She had to focus! She motioned for her team to follow her: "This way!"

A loud howl resonated throughout the city. Tigress skidded to a halt just before the jail. She hid behind a corner and listened carefully. The wolves guarding the jail would leave to join the pack rally. Sure enough, the two wolves stationed outside the jail perked their ears up as they heard the loud howl echo off of every wall. After a second, Tigress heard the two canines leap upwards and out of the alley. She smiled and charged into the jail.

The team followed and they regrouped with Croc and Ox- who had not moved from their cells. Master Ox saw them and grabbed the jail bars, "You lot! What did you do? It's chaos up there! What happened to stopping Shen?!" He bellowed.

"Has Master Leo Lung returned?" Tigress asked them calmly. Their silence was their answer. There were no other animals in the jail besides them. Tigress huffed, "He could be any where in the city by now."

"Or, ya know, he could be dead." Mantis said offhandedly. Tigress growled quietly. She would not lose Leo again. Meanwhile, Po was standing quietly in his thoughts. Tigress, noticing his odd quietness, spoke to him,

"What is wrong, Po?"

"Master Leo said something about Shen destroying a panda village. I never knew there was a panda village. I just assumed I was the only panda in the Valley of Peace."

"Leo Lung was young." Master Ox said from the cell. The Jade Palace warriors turned towards him to listen to what he had to say, "He was probably younger than you all are now. The story, at least the one that I have heard, says that he was meditating in the mountains when he saw Shen destroying the village. He travelled all the way to Gongmen, without rest, and informed Shen's parents, who were Lord and Lady Peacock. Right before Leo Lung left, Shen arrived. The story says that he was still red with the blood of the innocent pandas he killed. Shen learned that Leo Lung has brought his crimes to the attention of his parents. His parents exiled him. Shen vowed revenge on the city, his parents, and Leo Lung; he marched out of the palace after that." Master Ox finished.

Master Croc chimed in right after, "His parents died two sunrises later. Broken hearts." Po, however, was not satisfied,

"What? So Shen destroyed a panda village? Was I there? That does not explain these visions I'm having! Why did Master Leo not tell me any of this?! I don't understand!" He sighed loudly in exasperation. Tigress frowned,

"Po, we need you to focus. Shen is still at large. We need to figure out a plan before he takes over China." She said, trying to remain calm.

"What about Master Leo, Tigress? You said he could be anywhere in the city." Viper said softly.

"We..we need to destroy the weapons that Shen has. Only then can we defeat him and focus on finding Leo." Tigress said"We can use dynamite to cause the factory to explode. That should destroy the weapons that he has in stock." The finality in her voice was solid. Nobody dared question her.

...

"You idiot!" Shen shrieked angrily, roundhouse kicking the nearest lackey to him. The gorilla recoiled backwards in pain, holding his nose. Shen ignored the gorillas complaints. Instead, the peacock stomped angrily away from the balcony and flew downwards into his planning room. He seethed and called Alpha towards him: "Call in the wolves! All of them! I want them ready to move!" Shen looked at the map of China in front of him, "The year of the peacock begins now!"

Alpha, the loyal supporter he was, smiled a skeptical, yet nervous, grin, "Right now? It's the middle of the year." Alpha slowed down as Shen turned towards him, "You would only get, like, half of the year of the peacock.."

Shen, a murderous glare in his eyes, pulled his robe aside and pointed a knife at Alpha. The knife was bloody. Alpha whimpered and backed up; the message was crystal clear. "And this is the year of the peacock! Happy New Year, sir!" Shen, however, paid no attention to the wolf. He noticed the scarlet stained knife, and straightened himself up,

"It seems this knife has been of great use to me already." Shen ran one of his feathery fingers along the edge of the knife. His pupils shrank in pure mania and bloodlust as he turned to Alpha. The wolf turned his gaze to the ground submissively. Shen spoke in a whisper, "Get the wolves ready. Load the ships, now." When Alpha hesitated for a second, the peacock raised his voice to a crow, "Now! Now now now now now!"

Alpha retreated backwards wordlessly. He climbed the ladder up and barked out orders to all the nearby wolves. Moments later, a loud, rallying howl resonated throughout the factory and into the city. The pounding of feet filled the air as the wolves prepared to load all of the remaining weapons onto the ships.

Shen stood back in the planning room. He turned his gaze back to the map. Shen closely examined it, and found Gongmen Harbor and Gongmen City. The peacock scanned the coastline. His plan was to move north. He would conquer all of the harbor cities and close them. Any Kung Fu Masters that stood in his way would share the same fate as Thundering Rhino.

Soon, with the harbor cities under his belt, Shen would be able to build more factories and more weapons. The peacock would move inland. Shen scanned the map, looking for large cities he could conquer. The imperial city, Bei Jing, would be the perfect target. It was near the northern coast of China, as opposed to Gongmen, which lay on the southeastern corner of China. However, as Shen scanned the map around Gongmen, he spotted a little marker about 250 or so miles from where Gongmen was, and it was called the Valley of Peace.

"Lord Shen!" A voice called the peacock's name. Shen groaned in annoyance and turned to see Alpha gazing down at him from above the ladder. "We have reports that Leo Lung has escaped the tower. What do you want us to do?"

Shen stared at Alpha for a moment, then gave a clear answer, "Bring him to me. Alive or dead; I do not care."

"Yes, Lord Shen!" Alpha disappeared out of sight and Shen heard him shouting orders to his lackeys.

Shen remembered when he was little. He was just a little peachick. His father told him stories of great warriors. Great warriors that came from the Jade Palace which was from The Valley of Peace.

The white peacock turned back to the map and found the Valley of Peace again. He grazed a feathery finger over the tiny city, "So that is where you come from, Leo Lung of the Jade Palace. The Valley of Peace." He rasped. The word sounded disgusting on his tongue. Shen looked down to the bloody knife he was still holding. He moved the knife up to eye level and examined the intricate patterns along the flat end of the blade, the now dried blood staining the silvery weapon red, and the deadly point it came to. Shen turned his back on the map and walked away from the map.

With a sudden and abrupt flourish, Shen whipped around and threw the bloody knife at the map. With a dull thwap the knife imbedded itself right on target. The knife had hit the Valley of Peace. The blade was hilted all the way to the thin handle. When Shen conquered China, The Valley of Peace would crumble under his talons, and it would be the most beautiful, bloody spectacle he had ever created.

...

The stitching didn't hurt Leo. It didn't hurt nearly as much as that knife had. However, Leo looked away and allowed the doctor to do his work. Milu tried to make conversation: "How long have you studied Kung Fu?"

"My whole life." Leo replied shortly, "I have been trained to dismiss pain. You can just stitch me up and let me go." Leo offered, "I have had much worse injuries than this."

Milu looked up at him, unconvinced, "Any wound worse than this would have caused you to die."

{Funny you should say that. I actually did die.} Leo thought to himself, feeling his muscles tense involuntarily as Milu sutured the wound. He didn't even think about telling Milu this.

When the doctor was finished, Milu stood up, careful not to have his antlers poke the ceiling, "I do not want you to fight. Your wound will reopen and get infected." Milu walked over to the water basin and grabbed the wet rag.

Leo huffed stubbornly. His teammates needed him. He looked pleadingly at the wapiti, "I need to help my teammates. They need me. Shen must be defeated."

But, much to the lion's dismay, Milu held up his hoof and shook his head. His antlers brushed against the ceiling, "Too risky. In Siberia, I had many patients like you." Milu knelt in front of Leo and began to wipe the area around his wound.

Leo straightened, but was cautious of straightening too much, for fear of ripping the newly placed stitches, "They have Kung Fu in Russia? I didn't know it was practiced outside of China.

"No. We don't have your Kung Fu. However, we have animals like you. They are stubborn. They are eager to get back into the world after serious wounds. If you did not live in the city or grew your own food, you relied on hunting. Injuries would mean death."

When Milu caught sight of Leo's stunned face, he elaborated, "Some tribes in Siberia are..antiquated in their ways. Hunting other animals for food is no more than a daily chore." The deer snorted in contempt. "I grew up in Moscovy- I think they call it Moscow here- and I was lucky enough to be educated and become a doctor. But I travel, and some tribes..well...they are not as modern as you Chinese- culturally, I mean."

"I understand, but why would you tell me this?" Leo inquired, "I don't have time."

"I told you this because I know what you mean. I know you want to get back to your comrades, but-"

A sudden banging on the wooden door caused both animals to be silenced. Milu turned and a loud voice came through the door, "Open up, in the name of Lord Shen!"

Leo tensed, "I know that voice. That is Alpha, the leader of Shen's army. They must be looking for me and my team mates." Leo looked around. There was not much he could use as a weapon other than Milu's medical supplies. He snorted. Leo suspected that Milu would not want Leo damaging his medical equipment.

"We know you are in there! If you don't open this door you will be arrested!"

Milu moved hesitantly towards the door. He cracked it open so that the wolves could see him but not Leo, "Кто ты?" He asked. Leo saw a nearby window that was open. He pulled himself up; he took careful precautions not to rip the stitches open.

"What?" Alpha was confused, and so, obviously, he unsheathed his sword, "Where are the Jade Palace warriors? The reward if you find them is great." He growled

"я не знаю." Milu replied, shaking his head.

"We don't speak slav." Alpha growled.

"I said if you don't get off of my door step I will skin you all and take you back to Moscow to sell you as fur coats." Milu snorted. Alpha and his pack growled,

"We have orders from Lord Shen to find Leo Lung and the other Jade Palace warriors. You can be arrested for defying us." Alpha placed a large paw on the door and proceeded to shove it open.

Milu tried to hold the wolf pack away, but they entered uninvited. However, the house was empty. No other animal besides the elk and the wolves were in the house. Seeing the open window, Milu sighed in both relief and worry. Leo Lung had escaped. He would be safe now.

"I believe you are searching for me." A voice called out from the street.

Milu turned and saw Leo Lung standing in the open street. He had crawled out of Milu's house from the window and ran out in front of the house. The wapiti felt defeat wash over him as Alpha and his pack swarmed the lion.

Milu watched as Leo Lung slammed his head into one of the wolves. The wolf collapsed and Leo turned to the three remaining wolves. However, before anybody could move, Milu fell onto all four hooves and charged into the canines. Leo's eyes widened and he watched as the bull elk used his antlers and large size- Milu was just as big as Leo Lung, but his antlers only made him seem bigger- to push the wolves back and away from his patient.

One of the wolves tried to jump onto Milu's back, but the wapiti bucked and reared, causing the canine to fall backwards. Alpha, seeing that his lackeys were no match for the wapiti and lion combination, howled loudly. Leo's ears pricked as he heard the tell-tale sound of paws hitting the pavement. Alpha's reinforcements were arriving. He turned to Milu, "We must retreat! I am injured and you are not trained in Kung Fu!"

Milu nodded at him, then jerked his head behind him, "Hop onto my back. I can run."

Leo did not hesitate. He grabbed Milu's antlers and pulled himself onto the wapiti's back. Milu pivoted on his hind hooves and galloped into the night. The wolves watched as the darkness enveloped the duo. Milu began to talk to the lion without slowing down, "Lead me to your teammates, if you know where they are." Leo nodded. Leo leaned down and used the long brown fur on Milu's neck to steady himself. Leo used his free paw to hold the stitches on his stomach, just in case.

"Gongmen City Jail, Black Dragon Alley!" The lion called out.

Milu nodded and galloped down the street. His hooves hit the stone street with distinguished clip clops. The wapiti tried to remain steady because he was conscious of the wounded lion on his back.

As Milu weaved through the streets, Leo looked up. Dust still floated in the air from when Gongmen Tower had collapsed, and it was beginning to settle. The night air, which would usually be crisp and cool, was thick with dust and ash from the tower. Leo squinted his eyes so the dust, which slowly floated harmlessly towards the ground, would not be whipped into his eyes or into his nose as Milu galloped towards the jail.

A sudden light caught Leo's eyes. In the distance, near the harbor, the factory was lit up. {That must be when Shen is hiding.} Leo recognized the balcony, which was lined with large weapons like the one he and his team had destroyed only an hour or so earlier. He looked at Milu, whose breathing was becoming more erratic and shallow- this was half because of the heavy load on his back and half in part due to the poor air quality- but he remained strong nonetheless. Leo admired him for that. Anyways, the factory was closer than Gongmen Jail. "Change of plans, Milu, take me to that factory over there!"

Milu slowed to a trot and looked to where Leo was pointing. Milu huffed and took a deep breath, then took off in a gallop towards the factory. As they neared, Milu looked back at Leo, "Are you sure? You said your teammates needed you!"

"If I defeat Shen now, then it will all be finished."

When the duo was about a block away from the factory, Milu slowed to a stop. Leo, who slowly slid off of Milu's back, landed on the ground silently. Milu lead out an audible sigh and gave a shake, similar to how a dog would shake water from its fur. He then looked at Leo with a look of disappointment, "Did I not give you a whole lecture on why you shouldn't be fighting?"

Leo nodded and answered quietly, "But I do not plan on fighting. If I sneak in, assassinate Lord Shen, and sneak back out without anyone seeing me, then this whole thing can be over. All I need is a knife or a sword." Leo bent his knees and began crouch walking towards the factory. He tried not to bend over and crouch, because he did not know if that would aggravate his stitches.

A sudden barking came from in front of the two. Leo ducked behind a stack of crates. Milu followed behind him, and lifted his head so that his antlers were out of sight. At least ten wolves ran past the duo, swords in hand. None of them spotted the two animals hiding mere feet away from them. Leo noticed that Alpha led the militia. Milu watched them run further down the block and turn a corner. He looked back at Leo,

"How do you plan on killing him? He is surrounded by wolves." Milu informed him.

Leo poked his head over the crates and stared at the factory ahead. He spotted a single wolf guarding a small, one door entrance on the ground level. After scanning the rest of the factory, he turned to Milu, "Lord Shen must be focusing all of his army on building weaponry. There are not very many guards. All I have to do is get in and avoid being caught. I don't want to raise a stir, because that would alert Shen of my presence. All I must do is sneak up behind him and stab him through his heart. Then I get out as quickly and quietly as possible."

Milu stared at him and nodded slowly, "I can only wish you luck. I don't believe I will be of any use to you further."

However, to Milu's utter surprise, Leo shook his head, "I have an idea. I will understand if you don't take on this task, as it will put you in danger, but I need you to cause a distraction. Draw as many wolves as you can outside. The less wolves surrounding Shen the better."

Leo expected the wapiti to turn down the task, but Milu smiled bravely at him, "You are my patient and my friend, Leo Lung. I will help." Leo smiled broadly at the wapiti's statement.

With that, the lion slowly stood and slunk through the shadows towards the factory. Milu stayed behind and began formulating a plan to draw the pack of wolves outside. As Leo neared the large building, he stared at the wolf ahead. He was guarding a lone, quiet entrance. {This must be a maintenance entrance. Nobody has any need of it.} He concluded. Leo saw a nearby stone and picked it up in one paw.

Rearing his arm back, Leo chucked the rock to an opposite wall. The rock struck the wall and fell to the street. The wolf, who was staring blankly ahead, snapped to attention. He raised a sharp metal spear and headed in the direction where the rock fell, "Who is there?" He called.

Leo rushed towards him and knocked the wolf unconscious with a swift strike to the back of his head. Before his body hit the floor, Leo caught him and let his body slowly fall to the ground. Then, moving extra slow as to not stretch the wound on his abdomen, Leo searched the wolf. He looked for a knife or any other short blade he could easily carry and stab Shen with. But when he came up with nothing, Leo grabbed the spear. He snapped the wooden handle right under the metal blade, figuring it would have to do.

Now, armed and ready, Leo grabbed the handle on the door. With a deep inhale he opened the door and slipped inside.

Кто ты - Who are you

я не знаю - I do not know


	10. (Attempted) Assassination

As Leo slipped inside the factory, his senses were immediately bombarded by a wave of scents, sights, and sounds. The factory had a red aura about it. Glowing magma caused the entire atmosphere in the factory to burn red. It might be harder than I thought to slip into the shadows, Leo thought to himself. The tangy, acrid smell of burning metal caused Leo's whole muzzle to crinkle and he pressed himself against the wall. The sizzling hiss of steam- or what Leo thought was steam- hit his ears and he shook his head. How do these poor wolves work in these conditions? Leo wondered as he slowly made his way through the factory.

Many of the wolves were very engrossed in their work. Leo ducked behind a nearby column and watched as a small group of burly wolves hauled a large vat of still-burning metal to what seemed like an outline for the weapon. The wolves pushed the vat over; the melted metal flowed into the crevices of the outline. Leo slunk past them. Leo reasoned that spending even a few days- let alone several decades- in a factory like this would cause any animal's nose, no matter how skilled, to lose its edge. They shouldn't be able to smell him.

A sudden shout came from almost directly above Leo, "We need more weapons! More more more! Load a weapon onto every boat!" Leo's eyes narrowed as he recognized the peacock's voice. He several floors above Leo, but Shen had not detected the lion at all. The peacock's outburst caused several wolves to begin barking orders and commands to each other.

Leo spotted a staircase up ahead. He glanced around; most all of the wolves were busy either making weapons or just trying to guard the factory. Leo quickly leapt and hid behind another column- this one was right next to the staircase that could lead him to Shen. A sudden wave of smoke hit Leo in the face. The lion winced and covered his nose and mouth. The smoke must've come from the forgery of the weapon. Leo felt tears well up in his eyes as he tried not to cough or do anything to give away his location.

When he was ready to make a run for a staircase, the sound of doors crashing open echoed throughout the factory, "Leo Lung is here! Leo Lung is here!" Alarm spiked through the lion's body and he felt horror freeze his blood cold. His back stiffened and he pressed himself against the column to try and flatten himself. If the wolves attacked him now, the wounded, lone lion would stand no chance against the army of dogs; that was assuming Shen wouldn't cut Leo's head off at the first sign of the lion's presence. Leo dared to try and look around the post. But as he peaked around the column, he saw the familiar face of Milu, "The lion warrior is out here in the alleyway! He is injured and weak!" The deer bellowed to anyone who was listening.

Leo slumped against the column in relief as he watched at least fifty wolves, each one armed with a sword or a spear, abandon their work and follow Milu outside. Leo closed his eyes and prayed to whatever deity there was that Milu would be safe. Hopefully none of the wolves that Leo and Milu had fought earlier would recognize the wapiti. Leo heard the sudden shouting coming from above him, "Bring Leo Lung to me! I want him alive!" It was Shen, and he sounded angry. But the peacock also sounded... excited? Was it some sort of crazed madman type excited? The warrior shook his head. If there was any moment that he had to focus, it would be now.

While many of the wolves were either outside or working on the weapon, Leo Lung dashed for the staircase and quickly climbed them one at a time to remove the risk of tripping or making noise. As he reached the second staircase, he pressed himself against a nearby wooden post and looked around. There were no wolves on this floor. No Shen, either. Leo crept towards a wall where the shadows of the above floor made the corners almost black- whenever the red magma wasn't casting red light on it.

Leo closed his eyes and tried to focus on detecting Shen. The barking and growling of the wolves, the hiss of the steam, and the acrid stench of burning metal made it hard for Leo to try and pinpoint the location of the white peacock. All the lion needed was a click of a talon, a whoosh of the tail feathers, or even the insane murmuring and mumbling from the bird. Shen was more than generous with his crazed ramblings to himself.

He was on either the third or top floor. Almost directly above Leo. Now Leo would hear the peacock as if he were right next to him, "I will rule all of China. I will conquer everything. The Valley of Peace will be nothing but a stain in history when I am finished."

Leo's eyes widened in fear, but then narrowed in determination. Shen was not only out to destroy his way of life, but his home and his family. That was not going to happen- not while Leo Lung was alive.

Back in Gongmen Jail, the Furious Five, as well as Po, gathered around a cart. All of them- minus Tigress, who had stayed behind in case Leo returned- had gathered a cart, some lighting sticks, and a whole bunch of explosives, fireworks, and incendiaries for the sole purpose of blowing the weapon factory sky high. It would certainly be a sight to behold.

Tigress- she had been unofficially named the leader of the group of warriors now that Leo was missing- looked at the cart of explosives. The pride glimmered in her amber eyes, "Well done everyone. All we need to do is blow up the factory, defeat Shen, and find Leo. Then our mission will be complete."

Po, who stood next to her, beamed in joy as the tiger praised the team. The panda spoke up, "Let's get this thing rolling! Woo hoooo-"

"Hush!" Mantis scolded, "There are still wolves everywhere! We can't risk getting caught when we are so close to completing the mission!"

"Oops." Po, while he was still very excited, quieted down. Master Ox, who was still sitting in the jail cell with Master Croc, spoke,

"Are you sure this will work? Shen has eyes everywhere. You will need to get right up to the factory, probably inside of it, in order to destroy everything."

Tigress nodded confidently, "We have the element of surprise, and this is our best way to use it. Are you sure you don't want to come? We need all the help we can get in case Shen fights."

But the duo remained stubborn. Master Croc approached the jail bars, "Shen is a very formidable opponent. We wish you the best of luck."

"Thank you, Masters." Tigress bowed, "Let's go, team." With that, they begin wheeling the cart towards the factory. Crane flew ahead to guide the way. Tigress and Po pushed the cart while Monkey and Mantis carried the lighting sticks. Viper followed right underneath Crane, and she kept watch and dispatched any wolves that might be lurking around.

As the six weaved through the city streets and approached the factory, the smell of sulfur and gunpowder became stronger. Dust from when Gongmen Tower fell was beginning to settle on the ground. But what surprised Tigress was how little wolves there were. She remembered seeing over hundred wolves- maybe even two hundred- at Gongmen Tower just hours ago. As they advanced towards the factory, Viper was supposed to knock out or distract any wolves that may interfere with the plan, but Tigress hardly saw the snake move from the center of the road other than to add a few extra small explosive barrels to the cart from a firework stall. Were all the wolves at the factory waiting for them? Were they killed when the tower collapsed? Did they retreat and abandon Shen and his crazy plan? Tigress pushed the thoughts to the back of her head as she continued pushing the explosives after Crane's flying form.

The tangy smell of what Tigress assumed to be burning metal hit her nose like a club and she winced. The other members of the team smelled it as well. Crane turned his head back to the team on the ground, "The factory is right up ahead." The bird swooped down and joined them on the ground. He was right. Tigress spotted the red lights of the tall factory just over a few buildings.

"Is everyone ready? As soon as we light these explosives we need to get as far away as possible." She voiced. Every animal nodded. Up ahead, there was a large door with four wolves guarding it. Without Tigress even needing to tell them, Viper and Crane flawlessly took out the wolves and hid their unconscious bodies under some nearby barrels. The tiger smiled. Po began to giggle excitedly as they approached the large door,

"I am so excited! This will be so totally awesome!" He said in a hushed, but still very happy, whisper. Tigress smirked slightly. The panda's happiness was almost contagious.

But suddenly, before they were close enough to open the door, a large, hoofed creature ran past all of the warriors and burst through the doors, "Leo Lung is here! Leo Lung is here! The lion warrior is out here in the alleyway! He is injured and weak!" The deer-like thing shouted into the factory.

Tigress's eyes widened and she grabbed the cart of explosives and nearly threw it and herself into the shadows. Crane, Viper, Monkey, Mantis, and Po each followed and hid with her,

"Who is that guy?" Mantis asked, "Is he one of Shen's warriors or spies?"

"I didn't see Master Leo on the way here," Crane whispered, "But if he gives away Master Leo's position-"

"Should we go knock him out? It might be the best way to save Master Leo." Viper added. Tigress thought for a moment. But before she could speak fifty to seventy five wolves charged out of the factory, each one armed to the teeth. The deer thing turned and ran, but shouted back at them in a strange accent Tigress had never heard, "He is this way! I saw him! Follow me!" The large beast charged into the night, with the army of wolves on his tail.

"Monkey, Crane, I need you both to follow them. If you find Leo Lung, help him and defeat your enemies." Tigress ordered. Monkey spoke up,

"What about that deer? What should we do about him?" He asked.

"He is obviously not an ally of ours. If he is on Shen's side, treat him as an enemy." Tigress said. The two Kung Fu Masters turned and disappeared after the militia of wolves. She turned to Viper, Mantis, and Po, "Let's get this over with. Hopefully Master Leo is ok." She murmured the last sentence to herself, but Mantis heard her.

"Hey, at least he is alive. As that guy said, he is 'injured and weak' but alive." Mantis said. Tigress let a tiny smile crease her muzzle and she nodded,

"Let's blow up this factory."

Leo Lung, the spear head in his paw and the resolve and determination growing in his chest, hyped himself up for whatever was above those stairs. Despite being injured, the lion knew that he had to fight. He could not just roll over and give in like a baby puppy and let the healthy, strong animals take over. Leo Lung could be considered many things: brave, courteous, and fearless, but weak was not one of them.

Shen was no where to be found on the second floor. But Leo did not give up hope. A sudden shouting of orders came from above him, followed by the 'Yes, my Lord' of an unknown wolf subordinate. {Ah ha! I have found you, Shen.} The lion thought to himself. Shen was on the third floor. Leo Lung, after hiding and waiting for the wolf to leave and come back downstairs, approached the staircase.

He quietly placed one foot on the first step. His ears strained as he listened for any sign of the peacock moving around- the scratch against the floorboard above him was a good indicator of Shen moving- and he tried to look through the gaps in the planks to try and see which way the peacock was facing. As Leo Lung placed another foot on the next step and pushed himself up, he saw the peafowl's head.

Shen was facing a wall. Was he looking at something? A map or a diagram of sorts? Shen's back was to him and Leo silently fell onto all four paws and advanced up the remaining stairs. He could feel the stitches in his stomach stretch as he extended his front paws, but now was not the time to worry about his wound. It was now or never. Hesitating for even a second was more than enough time for Shen to reopen the wound..or worse.

The lion made it to the room that Shen was located in. The peacock had not yet noticed him. Leo thanked his lucky stars that decades in a smoky, acrid factory had dulled Shen's- as well as the whole wolf army's- senses. Shen was busy scanning a map of East Asia on the wall. Leo reared back onto his hind legs. His grip on the metal spear head tightened and he advanced towards the evil bird.

{Just one stab. Just. One. Stab.} Leo Lung thought as he slowly approached the unsuspecting peacock. A sudden instinct washed over Leo Lung. It was a primal, wild thought that suddenly took over his mind. It made him flex his claws until they hurt. His eyes widened and his muzzle crinkled to reveal sharp teeth. He stopped behind Shen. The peacock was dragging one of his fingers over the map, obviously planning for some future conquest. Leo readied the spear head and reared it paw back.

Without a sound, Leo Lung's paw flew forward. Quick as the lightning as white as his feathers, Shen whipped around and held a knife up to Leo's spear head. Shen's pupils were shrunken with hate and mania, "Did you think it would be so easy to just walk right up to me and kill me? The heir of Gongmen City and soon to rule all of China?"

Leo Lung's eyes widened in terror as he saw the blood on Shen's knife. This was the same knife that Shen had used to stab him only hours earlier, and Shen had not even cleaned it! {Shen is mad..He is absolutely mad!} Leo thought. Shen glanced at Leo's abdomen and saw the stitches in his stomach.

"You got help. You weakling. You can not even take a simple flesh wound without needing someone to sew you up." The peacock rasped at him. Leo growled and pushed the spear forward. This plan was not going well at all.

The lion and the peacock locked eyes, and the pure hatred in each other's eyes were obvious. Leo, being much bigger and almost three times as heavy as the hollow-boned peacock, pushed the spear head down and towards Shen's chest. Shen, seeing this, kicked out with his talons and scratched Leo's stomach. However, Leo simply ignored it- it was a mere graze, after all. Leo pushed- threw might've been the right word- Shen backwards into the wall, trying to gain as much leverage against him as possible. The tip of the spear grazed Shen's collar bone and the peacock's eyes widened.

"Your reign is over, Shen!" Leo snarled, "I will defeat you!"

Shen, hearing the lion's declaration, suddenly stopped. A sly smile creased his beak, "Joke's on you, Leo Lung of the Jade Palace. You will never beat me because I was destined to be defeated by a warrior of black and white!" Shen broke out into maniacal laughter.

Leo hesitated. Was that warrior Po? Would he, the Lion Master, ever stand a chance against the peacock? Shen sensed Leo's hesitation and swung his knife around, causing Leo's spear to be knocked out of his hand. Shen, in a display of his agility, swung the knife and executed a roundhouse kick onto Leo's head. The lion collapsed onto his side and Shen, using the knives on his talons, sliced open the stitches in one fell slash. Leo winced and clutched his stomach as the stinging sensation returned.

"My reign is not over," The white peacock looked down at Leo like he was dirt. The scorn in the bird's eyes was evident. "My reign is just beginning."

Then, without warning, a huge fire engulfed the building.

...

As Milu rounded into an alleyway, he glanced around. This would be it. A militia of wolves followed him at his tail. When the wolf who looked like he was leading the militia- it was not Alpha, luckily, or Milu would have certainly been killed- saw that the deer had stopped, he approached Milu and stood at his side as the two looked into the alley that Leo Lung apparently was hiding in. When the canine saw that it was empty, he got up in Milu's face- as much as the wolf could, considering Milu was a head taller than them all- and snarled.

"Well?! Where is the lion?" He demanded. Milu's eyes widened,

"He was just here! I swear I saw him! He was injured when I saw him, so I came to your factory." Milu feigned innocence and held up his hooves. The wolf growled in frustration and turned to his lackeys, who began to sniff around the alley:

"Search everywhere! Lord Shen wants that cat alive!" The pack of wolves nodded and began to search around. Milu glanced around, unsure, as the wolves practically turned the alleyway upside down. Once the wolves found out that Milu was lying and that Leo Lung was no where in sight, Milu would definitely be in danger. He addressed the lead wolf:

"Maybe I should go. I won't be of any use if you can't find him." The wapiti said.

The wolf however, shook his head, "I don't know if I believe you. What if you lead us all the way out here to distract us?" He unsheathed his sword and held it up to Milu's throat. The wapiti gulped. He might have a hard time getting out of this.

Suddenly, without warning, two shadows descended upon the wolf pack. The wolves growled in surprise, but before they could unsheathe their weapons the two figures defeated all of them. Milu's eyes widened. Were these Leo Lung's allies, or were they vigilantes that acted alone? Within seconds, all of the wolves had been knocked clean out.

One of the fighters, who was a slender bird, saw Milu and flew over to him. The bird knocked into Milu and pushed the deer onto his back, "Who are you and why are you giving away Master Leo to Lord Shen?"

"What?! Are you his comrades? I was distracting those wolves!" The wapiti exclaimed.

"Wait, what do you mean by distracting?" The second warrior, who was a golden furred, dark skinned monkey, asked. The slender bird, who was probably a crane or a stork, let Milu up. The deer recovered and he snorted angrily at the two warriors,

"Leo Lung is going to assassinate Shen! I was helping by distracting many of the wolves in that factory!" Milu pinned his ears back and he flared his nostrils, "Now who are you?"

Much to Milu's irritation, the monkey and the crane exchanged horrified glances, "We need to get back to the factory before they kill Master Leo!"

"Who is they?! Are you friends of Leo Lung? Can you explain what is going on?" Milu asked, the Siberian accent in his voice thickening as he felt the two warriors' panic.

"I am Master Crane; that is Master Monkey, and we need to get back to that factory before the whole building is blown up! Follow us!" Master Crane said urgently. Milu huffed in worry and began to run on all four hooves after the two characters. He did not know who these two warriors were, but if they were friends of Leo Lung, they were friends of his.

The monkey looked back at Milu, who was right behind him, "We are the warriors of the Jade Palace!" He said. Milu nearly felt the lantern go off in his head. Leo Lung was from the Jade Palace! {Of course! These must be the comrades that he was so eager to get back to!}

The three animals spotted the factory above several other buildings. Then, faster than the blink of an eye, the factory exploded into flames. A visible soundwave flew from the building, and the sonic boom hit the animals like a gust of wind. It nearly knocked Milu off of his hooves. Monkey and Crane froze as they watched the factory go up in flames. Even though Monkey, Crane, and Milu were about three blocks away from the factory, the heat was intense. Near white fire and fireworks lit up the night.

However, the fire and the fireworks only lasted for a few seconds. When the wood structure was burnt out, the remaining structure began to groan. Like Gongmen Tower, the remnants of the factory's structure began to collapse. Instead of falling at an angle, the building fell straight down into an ever-mounting pile of rubble. Dust flew into the sky.

"No!" All three of the animals cried. They hared towards the factory, hoping that Leo Lung was still alive.

When Milu arrived at the front gate of the factory a minute or so later, he saw a tiger, a snake, a panda, and a little praying mantis all cheering in an alleyway, taking cover from the dust. But as he and the monkey and the crane got closer, the snake caught sight of them and alerted her teammates. The cheering died down as the tiger approached him. Milu stared her down. He had faced tigers much bigger than this one in Siberia. She was not scary.

"Who are you?" The tiger asked Milu. The wapiti sighed,

"I am Milu. Before you hurt me, know that I am an ally of Leo Lung. I helped stitch the wound on his stomach."

"If you are an ally of him then why did you tell the wolves where he is, huh? Not so loyal, are ya?" The panda asked in a very gung ho manner.

"Because I was distracting the wolves," Milu said, then he pointed at the building, "Leo Lung was in there! He was going to assassinate Shen!"

All of the animals' eyes- minus the monkey's and the crane's- grew to the size of saucers. Milu put his head in his hooves. They all began to talk at once,

"Master Leo was in there?!"

"Surely he's joking, right?"

"What if he is in the rubble?"

"..What have I done?"

"Hey, guys, listen!" The large panda spoke suddenly, "Maybe Master Leo survived! Like Monkey said, he could just be in the rubble! Let's go dig him out!"

"Good idea, Po." Master Monkey said, rolling his eyes. Then, without any further comments, all six of the animals left, leaving Milu in the dust- literally. But that didn't last long when Master Crane turned and looked at him,

"Hey, you're his friend, too, right?" When Milu nodded up at him, Crane continued, "Then come on! We need all the help we can get!"

Milu nodded once more and rushed over to where the tiger was giving out orders: "Monkey, Mantis, you search that corner over there. Crane and Viper, you two take that far end. Milu, Po, and I will start at the right side and sweep towards the middle. Let's go, Master Leo may be counting on us!"

The animals split into their groups. Milu followed the tiger and the panda, who was named Po, onto the pile of rubble. Milu used his hooves to push aside rocks, ash, and burnt wood out of the way. He found plenty of pieces of metal and even some cooled magma- which still felt hot on his hooves.

A sudden wail drew Milu's attention. All of the animals glanced upwards and saw the snake staring horrified as something she dug up. The tiger rushed over, "Is it Master Leo?"

But the snake shook her head. Milu took a few steps closer and saw that it was a wolf. The fur was nearly singed off and his eyes were closed peacefully. Milu sighed. As a travelling doctor, he had seen plenty of death. He hung his head and got back to work. The tiger shook her head, "It's ok, Viper. All we need to do is find Master Leo. He could still be alive." The snake, aptly named Viper, nodded sadly and used her head to bury the wolf under some more rocks. Milu was suddenly very happy that he drew the majority of the wolves from that factory.

An hour and a half slowly passed. The moon had peaked and was nearing the horizon. Many villagers who were awakened by the explosion joined in the search. "Leo Lung of the Jade Palace is a local hero here. The story of how he exiled Shen twenty years ago is legend!" One of the villagers had said after Milu shot them a questioning glance. Just to add to the sorrow of the Jade Palace warriors, and to Milu: a pile of wolves and other factory workers grew on the outskirts of the rubble. The morale of the Jade Palace warriors was beginning to dwindle. Master Leo was simply no where in sight and the body count was starting to grow demoralizingly high.

Suddenly three more animals appeared at the bottom of the pile. One was a large ox, the second was a crocodile, and the third was a tiny red panda. The giant panda, Po, saw them and cried out, "Master Shifu!" Po eagerly bowed to the red panda.

"What is going on here, Po?" The red panda, who was named Shifu, asked. He looked around at the pile of rubble.

"It looks like our friends here decided to defeat Shen by blowing up the entire factory." The large ox said. The ox looked at the pile of wolves, "It also looks like they had no regard for the workers in there." He added with a snort.

The tiger hopped down and bowed to the three animals, "Master Shifu we...we are searching for Master Leo Lung."

The red panda's eyes widened, then he spoke, "You blew up the building while Master Leo was in there?! What were you thinking, Tigress?"

"Maybe she wasn't thinking at all.." The crocodile added quietly, gazing at the crew of animals searching through the rubble.

Tigress spoke, but her eyes were on the ground, "We..we did not know he was in there. We got separated and he acted on his own. It was an accident!" Her voice nearly cracked.

"That does not matter now! We must find him!" Master Shifu said, joining in the search. The red panda, named Shifu, leapt nimbly up the pile of rubble and began digging. The ox called for a wagon to cart away the victims of the explosion while the crocodile and Tigress rejoined the search.

Milu, deciding that he would learn everyone's names later, bent over and found a large piece of what used to be a roof or a large wall. The wapiti gathered his strength and pushed aside the debris. He came face to face with an unconscious, dusty-brown lion. Milu's eyes widened. It was Leo! He quickly knelt and grabbed the lion's wrist, which was cut and scraped. Milu tried to find a pulse. Where was it? Milu anxiously pressed his hooves against the lion's wrist. There.

Joy and relief surged through Milu's body, "I found the lion! Leo Lung is alive!" He bleated out happily. Tigress, Shifu, Po, and all of the other Kung Fu Masters and the villagers clambered over to him.

Shifu, who reached him first, saw the dust covered cat and nearly fainted in relief. He turned to Tigress, "Let's get him out of this rubble."

"Yes, Master!" Tigress smiled and saluted. The tiger called over the rest of the Jade Palace Warriors and they began to free Leo Lung from the rubble. As the team dragged the lion from the debris, Milu spotted something else in the rubble.

It was a long, dusty grey feather sticking out of the rubble. Furrowing his brows, the wapiti gathered his strength and began to move some of the debris. But before he could uncover anything, a voice called from behind him.

"Hey, Milu, wasn't it?" The wapiti turned around to see that Crane, the bird, had called to him. The Jade Palace Warriors were at the bottom of the rubble, gathered around the lion's body, "You're the doctor who helped him, right?" Milu nodded once, glancing quickly back at the feather sticking out from underneath the stone and wood. Crane shouted to him again, "Then get down here and help him some more!"

Milu, not even knowing if the owner of the feather was alive or not, nodded to Crane and began to climb down. He reached the bottom and crouched beside the lion. The lion's mane was nearly burned to the roots, revealing a muscular neck underneath. His fur was burned or singed in some spots, and the signature tuft at the end of his tail was burned off. He looked up at the warriors who were staring at him expectantly, "We need to get him cleaned up. If he has any open wounds then the dust could cause it to be infected."

Shifu nodded once and turned to the villagers, most of whom had begun to load the wolves into the cart. He began to order some of them to get him a wash rag and a bucket of water. Milu ran his hooves over Leo's body, searching for injuries. The praying mantis spoke from Monkey's shoulder,

"So, are you, like, an actual doctor? Just wondering because we've had some..uh.. fake doctors before." He inquired.

Milu gave Mantis the most unimpressed look while Monkey flicked Mantis disapprovingly with his tail. Milu spoke, "If you want me to work at the Jade Palace, you simply had to ask. Раздражающий маленький баг.."

"Woah. Are you Russian?" The bug asked.

"I was born in China, raised in Russia." Milu answered curtly as he finished looking over the lion's body. A villager returned with a wash cloth and bucket of water. Milu began cleaning the dust off of Leo, "Do you have an infirmary at the Jade Palace?" His question was met with nods- a few too many from Po the panda. "Good, take him home. A few of his ribs are broken where that wall fell on him and the wound on his stomach has somehow reopened but other than that it is just cuts and bruises. He will not be able to perform Kung Fu for at least five or six weeks while he heals."

"At least he will be ok." Tigress breathed a sigh of relief. Milu nodded and stood up. This time it was Shifu who spoke, "This may seem a lot to ask, but would you mind staying with him? Just to look after him while he heals? It would be better since you already know his wounds and injuries."

"You want me to come to the Jade Palace?" Milu's eyes widened slightly and his ears perked up.

"I understand you come from far away, and you are more than welcome to decline. We can make accommodations for you at the Palace, if you so wish to stay."

Milu thought about his home in Russia. He had just arrived in China several days before Shen took over. He pursed his lips. They had more doctors in Russia. He was needed here, "Yes. I can stay. But only until Leo Lung is healthy, then I must return to Russia." Master Shifu let out an audible sigh of relief,

"Thank you. We need to get him back home as quickly as possible."

"Wait!" Viper spoke, "What about the city?"

"Lord Shen is defeated!" Po cheered, "Let's just go home and celebrate!"

The crocodile from earlier stepped forward, "We can take it from here. The clean up will not take too long, hopefully." The crocodile said with a solemn glance at the cart of wolves being transported to the outskirts of the city. The large ox joined the group of animals,

"There is a royal carriage that Lord and Lady Peacock used as a transport from city to city. There should be enough room to carry all of you back to The Valley of Peace. Our swiftest palace guards can transport you home, if you would like that?"

Shifu smiled graciously as the dawn light shone on all of the animals, "Yes, thank you. We should get Master Leo home as soon as possible." As the ox fetched a few palace guards, Tigress turned to Milu,

"You said you are the one who stitched the wound on Master Leo's stomach?" She said. Milu glanced at her,

"Yes. He said he has survived worse injuries though, and he was very eager to get back to you all." Tigress let a small smile crease her muzzle as she heard this.

The small talk continued while the nine animals waited for the carriage. Milu learned the names of the other animals, Master Storming Ox and Master Crocodile, as well as some backstory of the journey here such as Master Thundering Rhino's death and Shen taking over the city. In exchange, Milu informed the Kung Fu Masters of some of his past: he grew up in Moscow and became a travelling doctor. He travelled to rural towns and tribes, or other towns that may not have access to city medicine, and he would leave after several days. Of course, Gongmen City was about as modern as they come, but the large hustle and bustle city almost reminded him of home.

A large carriage turned around the corner. Four strong, long-legged antelope pulled the cart along. Shifu looked at Tigress and Milu, "Put Leo in there, we will file in afterward." Milu gingerly picked up the unconscious cat by his shoulders while Tigress took his legs. Milu stepped up into the carriage and saw that there were two benches along both walls, and there was enough room to lay Leo on the ground.

When Leo was gently placed on the floor, all of the animals filed in, but Shifu went to talk with the antelope out front. Milu, his large antlers scraping awkwardly against the ceiling of the carriage, tried to tilt his head up or to the sides so that his antlers did not poke the ceiling or the other animals in the carriage.

Once Shifu hopped in and sat down on the edge of the bench by Crane the bird, the wagon began to move. Tigress, Crane, Monkey, Viper, and Mantis- whom Milu learned were called 'The Furious Five', he could not tell why, they seemed very pleasant- began to listen as Po began talking about whatever was on his mind. Master Shifu and Milu each scanned Leo Lung's body, searching for any signs of consciousness.

But the lion was in peaceful repose, as if he was not just burned and crushed by a stone wall. Milu heaved a heavy sigh. Hopefully the next six weeks would be smooth. For Leo's sake.

.

Раздражающий маленький баг = Annoying little bug


	11. Alpha

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alpha wakes up to find nothing but rubble around him.

When Alpha regained consciousness, he was lying on his stomach. He squinted open his eyes. Dust coated the inside of his nose and mouth. Darkness filled his vision and pain radiated from every inch of his body. Something pressed against his back, like a giant rock or wall. His ears rang. He tried to gasp for breath but it hurt. Everything hurt.

There were rocks and metal and wood in his mouth and fur and stuck in his pads. Alpha wanted to cry but his eyes were so dusty and dry. Was he dead? Surely being dead was not this painful.

The burly wolf recalled the final moments before the blast. Somebody had burst into the factory; claiming he knew the whereabouts of Leo Lung. Alpha did not see who it was, but he still had dispatched a militia of wolves to follow them to find Leo Lung. He himself would have gone, but he was too busy running around like an errand boy for Shen.

Then, several minutes later, the building simply..exploded. He did not know what caused it. Was it one of his own wolves that had simply made a terrible mistake? Was it Leo Lung or one of those Kung Fu masters? Alpha stifled a growl.

He had lost a lot to Kung Fu. After the Kung Fu Masters took over Gongmen Tower when Lord and Lady Peacock died, many of the palace workers were dismissed. Many advisers and workers were without work and some without homes. Alpha was lucky enough to have his brothers and sisters be employed under Shen, but Shen didn't exactly show his gratitude for the workers.

That peacock had him run all over the city and Alpha got next to nothing for it. Sure, Shen had employed Alpha's friends and family, but he treated them like disposable pawns. Alpha wanted to growl, but even the thought of using his voice hurt.

But when Alpha shifted underneath the rocks, he spotted a long, broken tail feather. The lighting was incredibly dark, and the feather- which would usually be stark white with red on the tip- looked grey and black. Was Shen dead?

The thought made Alpha feel multiple, conflicting emotions. His employer of twenty years, the one who gave him, his family, his friends a career in weapon-building, dead. Thousands of wolves put out of work. Surely they could work on a farm somewhere? Could they find another wannabe world-dominator and work under them, or was this a once in a lifetime job?

Alpha shook his head. He braced his arms beneath him. Was that a stone underneath him? A cannon? Or worse yet, one of his companions? Alpha grimaced at the thought. He could not feel any fur. That was a good sign. The wolf pushed his body upwards. A large stone shifted above him. Yes, he was strong enough. Alpha panted, but then winced his eyes closed. Even shallow, light breathing felt like sand being scraped against his throat.

{Come on.} Alpha willed himself. He braced himself again and pushed his back upwards. The stone fell backwards. Was that a light? Hope flooded the wolf. There was a light! He was saved!

Alpha tried whining, but it was incredibly quiet. Would anybody hear him? Alpha breathed as deep as he could and let out a quiet howl. The howl tapered off into a raspy cough. His ears strained. Maybe he could hear someone talking?

But Alpha heard nothing. He tried an even quieter, shorter howl. His hopes died with the whine. Nothing happened. Nobody heard him.

As the wolf lay there, he thought about his pack. Over a hundred wolves were in the factory. Sadness bubbled up inside him. Would he die here, like his packmates? Alpha thought about his family.

His father was a military adviser for Lord and Lady Peacock. His father had passed on all he knew to Alpha whenever the wolf pup wasn't either playing with Shen, who was only a little peachick, in the courtyard or he wasn't talking with Lord Peacock about military alliances. Alpha's family line, mostly the father or eldest son, held a place in the palace as the militaristic advisers. Alpha was destined to fight by Shen's side. In a perfect world, Shen's son and Alpha's son would have worked together, and so on.

Alpha's mother had died of fever many years ago. It was after Alpha had left with several tens of wolves with Shen leading them. Alpha remembered the sorrow of receiving a letter from a wolf messenger that his mother, sick and elderly, had died with only her husband at her side in a lowly hut on the outskirts of Gongmen City. The wolf commander had felt his heart tear. But when Shen had found Alpha in a private area of the factory, weeping for his dead mother, the peacock sliced the letter to shreds and berated the wolf for feeling emotions for the weak. It was that night that Alpha felt the first twinge of disloyalty.

And, of course, his beloved Shui. His beautiful wife, with her light blue eyes and her light grey fur. Alpha had discovered her when Shen recruited a tailor and her daughter to help mend the clothes and leather armor of his workers. Alpha had fallen instantly in love with the tailor's daughter, and began courting her. For years, Alpha and Shui would share fleeting glances. Shui would giggle and look away, but then look back at him with that cute little smile of hers. Alpha observed that she never did this with anyone else- in fact, she was quite cold with the other wolves. The two lovebirds, whenever Shen wasn't looking, would talk and flirt as long as they could. They were privately married, because who knows what would have happened if Shen found out.

Shui had not been in the factory when it blew up, but Alpha could only imagine her heartbroken sobs when she realizes her mate was in the factory. No. Alpha had to make it out! He refused to die here. He refused to die.

Alpha put one paw in front of the other and pulled himself towards the light. His body roughly scraped against rocks and stone, and Alpha ground his teeth together in sheer pain. {Almost there! Almost there!} He willed himself. He was so close to the light. Suddenly Alpha's paw touched something soft. The canine froze. Alpha's good eye slowly turned to see what he had touched.

It was Shen. His entire upper body was exposed, but his legs and tail feathers were buried underneath rubble. Alpha stared at him for a long time. He was within arm's reach. Was the bird even alive?

Alpha shrugged- or he tried, so much rubble pressed against him he couldn't even tell if he was shrugging. He reached his paw out and wrapped it around Shen's thin shoulders and tugged. His body was surprisingly light.

And warm.

Alpha let out a shaky sigh. Whether it was out of fear or relief he would never know. With one arm wrapped around Shen's shoulders and the other digging air pockets and a path to the light, Alpha breathed in deeply. Was that fresh air?

When Alpha clambered into the light, he was momentarily blinded. The light flooded his eye, and Alpha squinted his good eye closed. There was less dust in this air, and more fresh air.

The wolf opened his eye and saw that there were surprisingly few animals surrounding the rubble. Masters Crocodile and Ox were talking in the distance- their heads ducked and voices hushed. The dusk light was beginning to wane. Alpha had emerged from the rubble just in time- thirty minutes later and he would not have had the light to guide him.

{Now is your chance. Escape!} A voice demanded in Alpha's head. Alpha wrapped his arm around Shen and pulled himself from the rubble. His legs erupted in pain as they scraped against the rock and wood splinters, but Alpha clambered out of the pile and limped heavily into a nearby building.

The wolf thanked his lucky stars that the building was unoccupied and mostly unharmed by the building collapsing. A lot of dust was still in the air and a lot of furniture had been blown back. Luckily the stone house was far away enough to not be effected by the fire.

Alpha limped heavily over to a crate a sat down. He nearly gave a cry at how much pain he was in. Every part of his body was sore and hurting. He gingerly placed Shen on the ground and examined him.

The white peacock was dusty grey with flecks of red, and nearly all of his tail feathers were missing. The crest on the top of his head was reduced to small, singed feathers. His robe was nearly burned off, revealing the skinny, white feathered body underneath. Shen looked so...plain beneath him. So small. He didn't have any of his defining tail feathers or crest anymore. He looked almost unfamiliar. His chest faintly rising and falling was the only sign that Shen had survived the explosion.

Alpha simply let his elbows rest on his knees and his head hang. What a day. Alpha glanced around the building to see what he could find. A pair of too small shoes was resting on a nearby chair. A deep blue, almost indigo travelling cloak was draped over the back of the chair. A bed with a single blanket occupied one of the corners.

Alpha stood to move to the chair, but his knees buckled and he fell. Alpha landed on his stomach, his hind legs spread uselessly behind him. Alpha growled stubbornly. Were his legs broken? The wolf used his front paws and dragged himself to the chair. He pulled himself up onto the chair and put the shoes on the floor. Shen had small talons. Maybe the peacock could wear the shoes.

The traveling cloak was thrown around Alpha's shoulders, and he threw the hood up. This would work to conceal himself. Now, for Shen. Alpha scanned the house. The blanket on the bed could work.

Bracing himself, the wolf made a valiant effort to leap to the bed. He landed on his stomach on the floor next to the bed. Alpha cursed his legs. He cursed the explosion. He cursed Shen- yes, Shen- for taking him halfway across China into the mountains and overworking him and his family- and then scoffing and turning a cold shoulder when they collapsed out of pure exhaustion.

Alpha grabbed the blanket from the bed and crawled over to Shen, wrapping the peacock in the blanket so that the two of them were adequately disguised. Alpha picked up the bird- Shen was surprisingly light- and stared at the door.

He was no doctor, but Alpha was pretty sure his legs would never be able to carry the two of them out of the city. In the state they were in, the two would be trapped here until someone found them.

No. They needed a plan. Alpha hummed as he looked around the house. There were no carts or anything they could use to escape. Maybe they could use a taxi to get out of the city? Alpha braced himself and stood up.

His legs felt like they were on fire, and Alpha winced. He limped heavily towards the door and peaked outside. Night was covering the city. If he wanted to escape, now was the time to do it. He leaned against the door frame and pulled the hood over his head to conceal his face.

Now, all Alpha had to do was find an antelope that was willing to run them out of the city. There would be no animal here, near the rubble of the factory. All of the animals would be out in the morning. Now, Alpha was at war with himself. Should he try to escape under the cover of darkness, or wait until some taxi-antelope was awake at the crack of dawn?

He had to escape now. If Croc or Ox came in here and found him, he would likely never see the light of day again.

Alpha needed a walking stick or a cane or something. There was nothing in the house. Just the bed and the chair. Alpha's ears suddenly perked up. The chair was extremely cheap and frail looking, but it would do.

The front legs of the chair were only about thigh high, but the back legs sort of merged with the back of the chair. Alpha nearly cried with the pain of having to walk to the chair he was just sitting on. He fell on his bottom and grabbed the back of the chair.

Alpha wrestled the legs of the chair and, with a crack, the chair broke and Alpha had a new walking stick. He leaned heavily on the wooden stick and lifted himself to his feet. The cane only reached his belly, but he had no other choice.

The wolf dragged himself over to Shen and, with hushed whimpers, lifted the limp peacock over one shoulder. With the hood masking his face and Shen looking like a rolled up carpet over his shoulder, Alpha hobbled out of the building. He looked like an old peddler dog who sold rugs for a living.

Alphas legs were screaming by the time dawn arrived several hours later. Yet the progress the wolf made was excruciatingly slow. He had only made it about five blocks. He often had to lean on crates and buildings to take breaks and relieve his legs, which he knew had to be broken.

{My dearest, Alpha!} The voice of Shui willed Alpha to go on. His tail wagged at the thought of seeing her again. First, he had to grow strong again. However, her voice cut into his head again, "Alpha! My love! Is that you?" Alpha visibly straightened, even though his legs nearly buckled, at the sound of his wife. It wasn't just in his head.

The dawn light caught Shui's fur as Alpha saw her. Her light grey, not-quite silver, fur gleamed, and her light blue eyes looked so beautiful. Alpha whined loudly, nearly crying at the sight of her. The she-wolf ran to him, "My Alpha, are you alright? I got word about the explosion!"

Alpha wanted to answer, but instead he gently placed Shen on the ground and wrapped her in a hug. He had come so close to losing her. Shui wrapped her arms around his back and whined, "I am so glad you are ok, my love." Alpha's tail was a blur. He couldn't stop whining as he breathed in the scent of his love. The pain in his legs seemed to subside as he nuzzled her fur.

"We have to leave; I have Shen wrapped in this fabric. We must go." He whispered into her ear.

Shui gently pressed against Alpha and she looked him in the eyes, "What about the army? What about you? You are covered in dust! Your legs!" She exclaimed, "You are in no position to fight anymore!" Shui whined.

"I..I know." Alpha said, sitting down on a nearby crate. He sighed in relief and gently messaged his thighs. He should probably see a doctor. Alpha spoke, "But Shen..I can't just..I don't know." He whined.

Shui, instead of chastising him for his loyalty to Shen, sat down next to him and hugged his side, leaning on his shoulder. "I still love you. I will get us a cart so we can get out of here."

Alpha looked at his wife in surprise, "What? I thought you hated Shen." Shui nodded,

"I do." Shui smirked cheekily, but then continued, "But if you want to follow him, then I won't stop you. I probably couldn't." She sighed wistfully, with a glance at the unconscious bird at their feet. "I will get that cart." She trotted gracefully into the streets, which were beginning to fill with merchants and civilians.

Alpha smiled as he watched the beautiful she-wolf go. He tried not to imagine what would have happened he didn't survive the explosion. He pulled the hood tighter over his head as some civilians began passing closer by. Several long moments later, Shui returned, pulling a medium-sized wagon behind her. Alpha smiled and his tail wagged a little.

Shui helped Alpha get in the back of the cart and load Shen up. Alpha insisted that he lead the cart, but Shui had none of it.

"Your legs are broken, dearest." She said, kindly yet sternly, "I can pull both you and him out of the city." Alpha would have continued to bicker with her, but the light grey she-wolf grabbed both of the handles and began pulling. Alpha watched in amazement as the cart began rolling. He never knew Shui was this strong. But, lo and behold, with a few grunts during uphill climbs, the wolf pulled the two out of the city.

Alpha tried to keep his head down. Many of the people were busy setting up their stalls and booths for the days business, so luckily none of them cared too much about a wolf pulling a cart. But it was better to be safe than sorry.

When the three animals made it to the outskirts of the city, Shui collapsed on a stone and massaged her biceps tenderly. Alpha propped himself on the rim of the cart and howled loudly.

Shui's head perked up and a small bork built up in her throat. When she realized it was simply her husband, she shook her head and smiled. She stood and grabbed Shen's still unconscious body from the cart and lay him down gently on the ground. She placed his head on a flat stone and unwrapped him from the blanket. A frown creased her muzzle as she took in Shen's surprisingly small form.

The silence was comfortable. That was, until about 100 wolves materialized from the city, the shadows, and the hills behind them. Alpha gazed at all of them. These were the wolves that had survived. Some of them had missing patches of fur. Their skin was burnt and some had makeshift bandages on. Some of them were sent to track Leo Lung moments before the explosion. Many of them were growling and whining when the spotted Shen's limp form on the ground.

This was all that was left of Alpha's family. His wife, his leader, and his pack. This is what Alpha had to work with. Shui looked up at him from near Shen's body, "What are we going to do now, Alpha?"

Alpha blinked once, twice. He took a deep breath- not too deep, his chest was sore- and spoke,

"I follow Shen. And Shen would want revenge. We will regroup in the mountain factory. Make one last weapon. Then," he growled for emphasis, "we march to the Valley of Peace."


	12. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Jade Palace Warriors (plus Milu) finally make it home.

About halfway through the trip, the Gongmen Tower antelope guards stopped at an outpost and switched places with some smaller, faster deer and also gave their passengers food, water, and a chance to stretch their legs, which Milu greatly appreciated. The outpost also had bandages for Leo Lung. The lion had been unconscious for the whole ride home, and Milu was beginning to get worried. The wound on his stomach, while not bleeding, was running the risk of becoming infected. Milu hoped that the bandages from the outpost would be able to keep infection out- not trap it in.

The sun was nearing the top of the sky when the carriage arrived at the Jade Palace. The cart stopped just outside of the palace. Milu, who was jostled awake by the carriage going up a seemingly endless amount of steps, glanced quickly at Leo Lung, who was lying still on the floor. The lion still slept. Milu sighed and looked out the back window. He was on a mountain, and a valley stretched out below him. Nestled in that valley was a quiet little village. Ah, this must have been the Valley of Peace. During the three day trip, Milu had learned a lot about the Furious Five, Master Shifu the Red Panda, and Po the Dragon Warrior.

If he remembered right, Master Oogway was the turtle- no! He was a tortoise and he was the Head of the Jade Palace. Then he passed away and Master Shifu became the Head. Tigress was the leader of the Furious Five, and each of them played off of each other's strengths and weaknesses. Po the Dragon Warrior was, well, the Dragon Warrior. He had stopped a leopard named Tai Lung. Milu secretly wondered if this Tai Lung was related to Leo Lung.

One of the guards opened the door of the carriage, flooding it with the light of day, announcing their arrival at the Jade Palace. Milu, being the only animal with big, awkward antlers, hopped out first and helped the other members out. Master Viper slithered out and smiled at the sight of the huge palace before her,

"Ah, so good to be home!" She inhaled deeply.

Master Shifu stepped out of the carriage, "We need some palace attendants to help Leo to the infirmary." One of the antelope who brought the carriage to the palace nodded and hared away.

Milu gazed at the Jade Palace, "So this is your home. Quite extravagant." He mused.

"It's not that big. The training hall and the Sacred Hall of Warriors makes up a pretty big part of it." Master Mantis said. Milu's ears perked up. If the bug proclaimed that the palace was not big, then, well, Milu had to believe him.

"Come on, Milu, we will show you to the infirmary, where you will be working." Master Crane said. The bird stretched his wings out with a gleeful sigh. Tigress nodded,

"Go stretch your wings, Crane. All of you, should, really. Follow me, Milu." She headed off across a large, sandy, square-shaped courtyard. Milu followed her every step. He didn't want to get lost in this large palace. Before Tigress could open the large front doors, a rush of palace attendants, mostly geese and pigs, ran towards the carriage with a stretcher. The wapiti and the tiger watched quietly as they gently carried Leo out of the carriage and onto the stretcher.

The pigs and geese carrying the stretcher walked in a staggered motion- as if, even between the six or seven of them, the lion was still too heavy- past Tigress and Milu. Tigress looked calmly at Milu, "Let's follow them. They will take him to the infirmary."

The rest of the Jade Palace Warriors fell in behind the stretcher. Milu glanced around as he followed everyone. This palace was indeed extravagant. In all of his years as a travelling doctor, he had never seen anything quite like this. Even the chieftains of some of the villages and tribes he visited could only dream of something like this. The ceilings were high and there were several sliding doors, large windows, or open walls that looked out over the village below.

The group passed through several rooms and hallways before they entered a room with three walls and a screen door leading to a balcony. Milu presumed it looked out over the valley. A table against one of the walls held an enormous variety of medical supplies imported from other doctors in other lands: some Milu was comfortable using, and others Milu had never even seen before. A basin with a tiny stream of running water, which came in from a small Roman-style aqueduct, sat in a corner.

"This is our infirmary. We've never had any doctors stay more than a few months, so don't get too comfy." Master Monkey said. Milu frowned and looked around, getting situated. There were several beds used for holding patients. The pigs and geese were already hoisting the large lion onto one of them; Master Tigress and Master Crane began aiding them, much to their relief.

Master Shifu approached Milu, "We thank you greatly for your kindness in staying with us and helping Leo. It really means a lot to me."

"It is no problem. I recall you saying on our journey that you have lost him before. If you don't mind, would you explain what that means?"

The Furious Five and even Master Po, who was very talkative during the journey home, went quiet. Master Shifu was quiet for a moment. The red panda opened and closed his mouth several times, as if he were thinking over his next words.

Then Shifu heaved a heavy sigh, but spoke, "Master Leo has died before. Before Po defeated Tai Lung, Tai Lung and Leo Lung fought. Tai Lung killed him. Leo was dead for several hours." The red panda stopped abruptly as his eyes glazed over; as if he were reliving those dreadful hours again. The room went quiet. Milu's eyes narrowed and he gazed, confused, at the sleeping lion. He had dealt with plenty of dead and dying animals, but an animal coming back from the dead? That was new. Was this what Leo meant when he said he had survived worse injuries? Does that even count as surviving? What had happened to the wounds that had killed him, then?

"Then Master Leo just..woke up." Po said, "And he was fine. Like he was waking up from a nap."

"But-but it's fine. He's alive now. That was a long time ago." Master Shifu said quickly, shaking himself out of his trance. "We will leave you to take care of him." The red panda hastily left out of the room.

"Maybe he just doesn't like talking about it?" Master Viper questioned quietly. Master Monkey shrugged. Milu now felt a wave of guilt wash over him. He regretted asking now. Milu smiled tautly,

"He is right. He is alive now, but I will need to get working on him immediately, to prevent infection. Will I have a nurse or.."

"Yes." Master Crane nodded, "If you need a palace attendant, just call for one. One will come help you. Would you like us to show you your dorm, for when you need sleep?"

Milu shook his head, "I need to be here. If he wakes up or needs help, I must be in here. I can make do on one of the beds. Thank you for your offer, though."

"But we can come visit him, right?" Po asked. Milu smiled and nodded,

"I do not know how long he will remain unconscious, but as long as I am not working on him you may visit."

Happy that Leo was in good hooves, happy to be back home, and happy that another villain had been defeated, the Furious Five and Po began to file out slowly, saying temporary goodbyes to the sleeping lion.

Milu quietly watched as they left. Once they were gone, he turned and grabbed a rag, suturing needle, and thread from the table against one of the walls. After he rinsed the cloth in water, he turned and approached Leo.

The elk began wiping down Leo's abdomen, careful not to aggravate the wound. How the stitches came out was beyond him, but he sighed and shrugged it off. He would just have to thread them in stronger this time.

Two weeks later

When Leo Lung regained semi-consciousness, the first thing he felt was calm. His eyes were still closed and his breathing was deep, but he could think and, after a great effort, move parts of his body. His brain felt quiet.

The second thing he felt was an incredible soreness in his chest. It was like his torso had been crushed.

Oh. Right.

Confronting Lord Shen, and the short scuffle afterwards, all came back to Leo. Shen pinning Leo on his back and mercilessly ripping his stitches open. Then, before Shen could kill him, a fire erupted. Shen was knocked backwards into the bottom of a wall. The lion felt a burning like no other. Leo had roared in pain as his body burned. Lord Shen had been knocked unconscious. Then suddenly the building groaned and the wall- the same wall that Shen was knocked into into- collapsed and crushed both Leo and Shen. The wall, while painful, had put out and shielded both of them from the fires.

All of a sudden Leo's entire body was sore. He was on his back on a bed of some sort. His back was sore where he was laying on it. Of course, Leo Lung was no stranger to pain. He heard thumps on his right. Sharp, hoof-like clicks, similar to the pigs that were in the Valley.

Leo felt his eyelids scrunch. He was not in the Valley, he was in Gongmen City. How he had made it out of that building before he died he will never know. Did someone, or something, save him? But as the lion forced his eyes open and light flooded his vision, he was met with a strange sight.

He recognized that pattern on the ceiling. The high, tiled ceiling. Was he in the infirmary room of the Jade Palace? How in Oogway's name did he end up here? Leo tried to yawn or breathe deeply or at least control his breathing or whatever, but pain caused him to groan.

The sudden clicky-footsteps from before sounded. Someone was approaching him. A large deer entered his vision. Wait, Leo knew this deer. It was Milu! Milu spoke with a gentle smile, "Ах, ты проснулся. You are awake. I am glad."

Leo opened his mouth to talk, but Milu held up his hoof to silence the lion, "These past two weeks have been very hard on your body. Save your energy for healing."

"Am I back home?" He groaned. The wapiti looked very annoyed as the lion blatantly ignored his orders. But nevertheless, Milu answered,

"Yes. We found you in the rubble and we brought you back home. I have been overseeing your recovery. I will send a messenger to inform the Furious Five, Shifu, and Po that you are awake."

Leo was very confused. When did he ever tell Milu about his teammates or even their names? He must have learned them on his own. While Milu searched for a palace attendant, Leo scanned the room. It was the infirmary. He had been here a lot in his youth, when Tai Lung and Shifu often sparred with him and posed genuine challenges for him. Now that Leo Lung was one of the head masters at the palace and all of the masters there- barring Shifu, of course- were much younger than him, he hardly ever got sent here anymore.

Milu returned to the room and began writing hastily in a scroll at a desk on the other side of the room. Leo looked around blankly. He didn't want to talk; after all, Milu said he needed to save energy. Several minutes later, footsteps pounded in the halls outside of the infirmary. Monkey, Tigress, Shifu, Viper, Po, Crane and Mantis all flooded into the room. They were all smiles as they saw that the lion had awoken.

"Ah, Master Leo, I am so glad you're alive!" Po exclaimed, looking overjoyed. They all crowded around his bed and Leo smiled at all of them.

"How do you feel without your mane, Master Leo?" Viper asked. Leo's eyes widened and his paw slowly lifted to his neck. Yes, his mane had been burned off in the explosion. Now, two weeks after, short little brown hairs covered his mane. Leo's paw dragged across his mane, or at least where it used to be. He was not used to this. He was used to a full, thick, brown mane. Now he felt exposed. Leo could feel the area where his shoulders met his neck. He had not felt that particular area in years,

"My..mane is gone." He breathed in near disbelief.

Milu spoke from the back of the crowd, "Do not touch him. His body will be healing for another month or so. I don't want you all setting his healing back."

"Of course, Milu." Master Shifu spoke. He smiled at his oldest student. "But, if Leo hasn't changed one bit, he will still want to train." The group of animals laughed and Leo smiled.

"You..know each other?" Leo asked slowly. Shifu nodded,

"We got introduced on the ride back home. We had more than enough time to get acquainted on the long road back." Leo smiled contentedly at Shifu's answer. Then, Leo's muzzle crinkled and he gazed confusedly at his teammates. Po noticed this,

"What? What is it Master Leo?"

"Shen? Where is Shen?" He croaked out.

The happy, cheerful faces of his companions slowly fell. Every animal gazed at one another uncomfortably as the truth began settling in. The room was too quiet for Leo's comfort. He gazed at every animal, even Milu, individually. Nobody spoke. Leo sighed quietly and let his eyes close. He inhaled as deeply as he could, and groaned angrily,

"Did anyone make sure that blasted peacock actually died?"

(No pun intended :) )

Ах, ты проснулся = Ah, you are awake.


	13. Back on our Feet

Alpha

The journey to the factory only took a matter of days. It was much easier to travel when massive weapons weren't being carted and thousands of wolves weren't having to be accounted for.

When the scout, who was a small, lithe wolf that Alpha had sent to clear the trail, announced the factory was in sight, the relief in the air was tangible. Two bulky wolves were pulling the cart that Alpha and Shen were riding in, along with some food that the wolves had stole from Gongmen before setting off. The two wolves picked up the pace, and Alpha sighed happily.

The factory was the same as Alpha had remembered it. Gray, cold, and almost desolate looking. It had only been a couple weeks or so since he, Shen, and countless other wolves departed from the mountain and marched to Gongmen City. Despite all that had happened, the factory, even in the cold mountain climate, remained unchanged.

Shui, who was walking alongside the cart, peeked inside and took a glance at Shen, "How is he?"

"No sign of waking up. But he's still breathing and twitching every now and then." Alpha stated, his breath billowing before him. Shui nodded quietly. Alpha scanned the wolves who were walking with them.

They seemed tired from the days long journey, but at the sight of the factory in the distance, they seemed rejuvenated. For many of them, the factory was home. It was far from luxury- the cots were stiff and the food was often cold- but it beat living in the streets.

When they arrived at the front gate, Alpha tried to push himself onto the rim of the cart. Shui used several sticks she'd found along the journey as splints for Alpha's legs. It didn't help with pain, but she insisted they would help. Alpha gathered the wolves to him and spoke,

"We need to keep a low profile. We don't want those Kung Fu Masters" a few wolves growled at the mention of them, "knowing we are alive. We'll spend a few weeks recovering and building back our strength. Build a weapon or two. By that time, those Jade Palace warriors will have calmed down and won't be on their guard. Then we will attack."

"What about Shen?" One wolf asked, gesturing to the unconscious peacock in the bed of the cart.

"We just hope Shen wakes up soon. Now, let's get in the factory and get started working. Hopefully there will be enough metal for one more weapon. If we don't have any metal, then buy some. Legally. We need a low profile. Shui," the she-wolf glanced up at the mention of her name, "continue making and repairing our armor. The rest of you," Alpha glanced at the rest of the wolves, "let's get to work."

The factory was cold, but once the wolves started up the furnaces and began working, things began heating up. Alpha had his cart wheeled to Shen's private chambers, where he lay Shen on his bed and Alpha sat on the chair by the desk.

When the two escorts left with the cart to begin working, Alpha was left in the quiet room with Shen. Shen was breathing deeply and occasionally twitching.

Alpha leaned back against the chair at the desk. His one eye glanced onto discarded papers strewn across the top. One book in particular caught his eye. Alpha spared a quick glance at Shen. The peacock was peacefully lying on his back, his eyes closed.

Alpha grabbed the book and felt it. It had an old papyrus cover and was no doubt used for a long time. Alpha flipped open to the first page.

{I can't believe I'm doing this. Journaling sounds like something a little girl does in her spare time.  
I suppose there is no better way to pass the time and vent my frustrations then.  
At least I will be able to record the progression and growth of my army here.}

Shock coursed through Alpha's heart. Shen kept a journal? Alpha nearly laughed at the thought, but he pushed it down and flipped ahead several pages. Much of the writing was the same. It was all obsessed writings about the progress of his weapons, the wolves, and how he would take over China.

Most of the writings were short. They only lasted a few lines long. However, as Alpha neared the end of the book, one particular entry got his eye. It was longer than the rest. He began to read it.

{Everyday I come closer to my goal.  
I have hundreds of wolves under my command now.  
New weapons are being made at a faster pace than before.  
World domination is within my grasp.

First, I shall conquer Gongmen City. Then we will move to Bei Jing, the Capital City.  
From there, I will crown my self Emperor.

Then, with China under my talons, my army will conquer the entire continent.

India, Japan, Korea...  
They will bow before me.

It will be glorious.}

Alpha frowned. That entry was written three days before the entire army set out for Gongmen City. It was the first time Alpha had even heard of Shen's plan beyond taking Gongmen City. He didn't know that Shen had planned this far ahead. Alpha would have put the book down; however, there was one more entry written the night before the army had moved out. Shen still hadn't made any sounds on the bed, so Alpha continued to read.

{I feel like a little child.  
The amount of pure anticipation and excitement I feel  
is like nothing I've ever known.

Someday I will rule all of Asia.  
I will be unchallenged, and my dynasty shall last millenia.

But wait..what about Alpha?  
His loyalty is unwavering, I am sure. But his wolves outnumber me hundreds to one.  
What would happen if any of the wolves wanted to rise up?}

At this point in the writing, Alpha noticed an ink splotch. It was as if Shen has absentmindedly let his pen drip on the paper while he was thinking.

{Ah, no matter. Once I am crowned Emperor, I will kill Alpha in front of all of the wolves.  
That will teach them not to challenge me.}

Alpha's blood ran cold. Shen was going to kill him? In front of his friends and family? Alpha felt his blood pounding his ears. He didn't even try to read the rest of what Shen had wrote.

"Good read?" A sudden voice croaked out.

Alpha flinched. He looked up and saw Shen was awake. Alpha slammed the book closed and shoved it back onto the desk. Shen coughed before speaking, "How much did you read?" He rasped.

"Not-not much. Just the first couple of pages. I'm sorry. I was just wanting to occupy myself while you were recovering." Alpha lied. Hopefully Shen didn't notice that Alpha was at the back of the book, instead of the first pages in the front.

"No matter." Shen whispered, "How long has it been since the explosion?"

"About three weeks, Lord Shen. We are back in the factory and rebuilding one more weapon. I was planning on attacking the Valley of Peace once that weapon was done." Alpha said, glancing at the ground. He wasn't sure what Shen would think. But Shen didn't seem angry. He stared at the ceiling and sighed.

"Did you say rebuilding one more weapon?" The peacock asked.

Alpha nodded hesitantly, "W-Why do you ask, my Lord?"

"Were the other weapons lost?" Shen coughed.

"Yes sir." Alpha nodded, "We lost many of our wolves too. At least two hundred or so." He turned his gaze to the floor, "We only have seventy or eighty wolves left. I don't know what happened to the rest."

Shen's gaze, although Alpha couldn't see it, hardened significantly, "Please tell me we got at least one prisoner? Someone from the Jade Palace, hopefully."

"...no sir..." Alpha was quiet.

Shen was visibly shaking in anger, "Not only did we lose over half of our army, but all of our weapons too?!" Shen tried to force himself to his feet, but the pain caused him to just settle with sitting up. His eyes were full of hate.

"Yes...my Lord." Alpha whimpered. The anger was radiating off of Shen in waves now.

The wolves in the main factory floor were informed that Shen was awake by the angry shrieking coming from his study.

...In the Jade Palace...

"I hope to Ogway that I didn't just hear you right." The annoyed groaning of a wapiti filled the infirmary,

"His name was Oogway. And yes, I want to walk around the palace today."

Leo's mind was made up. He had been cooped up the Infirmary for too long. Three weeks was long enough. Granted, he was unconscious for two of those weeks, but still, Leo simply couldn't lay still in his cot any longer.

Milu stared at him, "Leo Lung, you are not fully healed. Your ribs are still healing, and running around like a fool won't help."

"I won't run, I'll walk." Countered Leo.

Milu held his head in his hooves. Leo usually was never this difficult with anyone. Given the circumstances and how much he was longing for a breath of fresh air, Leo simply had to beg for a little time on his paws.

"You can walk with me to make sure I don't hurt myself, if it will make you feel better." Leo offered.

Milu rolled his eyes and shrugged, "Fine. I guess I could do a little sightseeing. But if I say that we need to come back to the infirmary, then we come back to the infirmary."

"Alright, I understand." Leo nodded, giddy to finally walk around. He tried to swing his legs over the bed when the dull pain in his chest grew sharper. He tried not to wince and Milu clucked,

"If you keep throwing yourself around like that, it will only be a matter of time before you get another broken bone."

Leo rolled his eyes at the wapiti's banter. He stood up slowly. His legs had a dull ache but, in his eagerness to start walking, he ignored it. Leo staggered to his feet and used his bed post to steady himself. He tried to take a deep breath without aggravating his chest, and he took a few wobbly steps toward Milu.

The wapiti nodded encouragingly, "I shall send a palace attendant to inform everyone that-"

"No, wait, I want to surprise them."

Leo figured that everybody would be training in the Training Hall by now. He and Milu made the slow journey to the Hall. Leo's legs didn't hurt too much, luckily. However, if he breathed too deeply, his chest would hurt again.

When they reached the Hall, Leo smiled as he heard Master Shifu inside ordering everyone around: "Monkey! You have a tail, use it! Tigress, use your surroundings to your advantage! You do it, Po! Now do it!" It was a usual day in training.

Milu pushed open the large door, and Leo smiled as he inhaled the scent of the Hall. Milu spoke up, "My comrades, I believe someone wanted to visit today." The training stopped, and everybody turned to face the duo.

Shifu's face brightened faster than a torch lighting a room, and he ran over to Leo, and eagerly hugged him. Tigress followed suit, "Master Leo, I am so happy you are walking again!" She purred happily. Po and the rest of the Five ran over to him, anxious to embrace their friend and Master.

Milu quickly stepped in, "Ah ah! No hugging! His ribs are still fragile and must not have any pressure applied!" Tigress nodded politely and pushed away from Leo. But she still smiled.

Everyone was basking in the glow of Leo getting back up on his feet.


	14. To The Valley

One week has passed since Leo first started walking again. Leo wasn’t back to training, yet. Shifu, despite being impatient by nature, gave him time to heal. Although, Shifu had said, I won’t be mad if I catch you in the Training Hall without Milu’s permission.

Everyday Leo would slowly walk around the palace. Milu would be a few paces behind him, ready to catch him if he stumbled. Personally, Leo hated having an escort, but he knew it was for the best. Milu offered having a cane made for him to steady his balance, but just the idea of walking around with a cane made Leo gag. He didn’t tell Shifu that.

While Leo was outside in the courtyard one day, Po approached him, his breath shallow from a recent training exercise. “Hey..Master Leo..” He panted. 

“Hello, Po.” Leo said, “How’s training?”

“Good..” Po nodded absentmindedly, “I wanted to talk to you about something. It’s um..private.” Po looked nervously at Milu. The wapiti, taking the hint, nodded and approached Leo,

“If you are in pain, just call for me.” Leo nodded, and Milu walked away, probably to write in his doctor’s journal. Leo led Po to a bench underneath a cherry tree.

“Let’s sit.” 

“So..um. It’s actually about something that happened in Gongmen Tower. With Lord Shen.” Po said, sitting down heavily next to Leo.

Leo nodded, “Continue.”

“You said that..Lord Shen destroyed a panda village? I never knew there was a village. Can you..tell me about it?” Po asked nervously, as if just the mention of his kind would set something off in Leo.

“Yes,” Leo hummed quietly, “I had only heard about it in tales from Master Oogway, but I heard it was a peaceful village. The villagers were incredibly content with their lifestyle. They hardly left, not even for trade. They farmed and grew their own food. It was several days walk from Gongmen. ” 

“I wish I could see it.” Po sighed sadly. Leo nodded in agreement, 

“If I remember right, it would only be a day’s journey by boat from here.” Leo acknowledged. 

“Really?!” Po perked up eagerly, “Do you think I could go?” He then added quickly, “Well, you could come to, since you know the way.”

“I’ve never been there..but I know where we can find it.” Leo said, getting up, “In the ancient scroll archives there should be a map of China. It might have the panda village on it.”

“Ok! Let’s go find that map!” Po shouted, “Woo hoo!” He dashed ahead.

“Wait, Po!” Leo said, jogging after him, “Milu will surely kill me if I overexert myself.”

“Oh, sorry.” Po giggled sheepishly.

…

The map of China wasn’t hard to find. Most of the scrolls in the archives were Kung Fu Fighting techniques, including the 1,000 Scroll of Kung Fu. Leo sighed sadly as he passed them. Only two animals have mastered those scrolls. Him and Tai Lung. How he missed his brother.

But Leo shook the sadness from his head. He had work to do. Leo spotted the map, identifiable by the red and yellow ribbons tying it closed. “Po, I found the map. Come here.”

Po, who was busy ogling at one of the many scrolls of Kung Fu, hurried over, “Where is the village?”

“Here.” Leo pointed to a dot on the parchment, “One day by river. We will be there and back before the week is out.” He smiled at Po.

“Yeah! I can’t wait!”

“What are you two planning?” A sudden voice called from the entrance of the archives. Leo looked up and spotted Master Shifu. Po eagerly beckoned Master Shifu over,

“We’re going to the panda village! The one that Shen..” Po’s voice grew quieter, “destroyed. I..want to see where I came from.”

“And what do you have to do in all of this, Master Leo?” Shifu turned his gaze towards the lion. Leo chuckled, almost nervously,

“I will be accompanying Po.” Before Shifu could say no, Leo hastily continued, “I won’t over exert myself, and it will only be for a few days max.”

Shifu stared at him for a while, then spoke, “You don’t need to convince me. It is Milu that you will have to talk to.”

Leo rolled his eyes and chuckled. Shifu sent for the elk and moved in closer to look at the map. Leo gave the map to his Master and looked at Po, who was smiling, eager for the journey.

Soon, Milu stepped into the archives, guided by an attendant. Milu looked over Leo, and sighed in relief when he saw that Leo wasn’t hurt or anything. 

“What is the matter?” He asked, stepping over.

“I’ll let Master Leo explain.” Shifu smiled. Leo flicked the red panda with his tail, then spoke,

“I will be escorting Po on a journey to the panda village. I have already decided to go, since I know that I can walk now.”

“You won’t be fighting.” Milu warned, “And how long is this journey?”

“One day there by boat. We shall be gone for three days or so. Maybe less.” Leo said.

“Then I am going with you. If you hurt yourself then you will need a doctor there. I will pack a travelling bag.” With that, the wapiti turned and walked out of the archives. Leo cast a quick glance to Po, 

“I guess that went well.”

…

The next morning, Leo, Po, and Milu met each other at the docks on the river near the edge of the town. Milu brought a travelling pack along, which held several medicinal supplies and equipment, whereas Po’s travel pack consisted of food, food, and food. Leo decided to bring sleeping mats.

Leo rented a boat from the boat master and they set off. Once the three animals were out of sight from the Valley, Leo unraveled the scroll. He looked at the map. They should make it in a day. 

When Leo was finished examining the map, he unravelled the three sleeping mats and begun to meditate. Po, on the other hand, began talking excitedly to Milu, who was polishing his medical equipment with the cold river water and a soft towel:

“-I mean, I thought I was the only panda in the Valley of Peace! It’s just really cool that there could be more out there. But, I guess since Shen killed them there aren’t any more left.”

Milu, who had experience dealing with and treating almost every species from the Northern Chinese border all the way to Moscow and about every personality in between, simply nodded in agreement, “I predict this is very big news to you, Po. Discovering one's past is an adventure in itself.”

…

Po was the first to wake the next morning. He nudged Leo awake, who was gently purring in his sleep, and whispered excitedly,

“Master Leo! We’re close to the village! I can feel it!” Leo blinked his eyes open and nodded. 

“Go wake up Milu. I’ll guide the boat ashore.”

Po hurried over to the wapiti, who was sleeping on his stomach, while Leo rose from the sleeping mat and headed outside. The sun was just beginning to crest the horizon. As Leo stared off into the distance, he realized Po was right; in the distance, he could see the faint outlines of what looked like ruins. 

As the boat drew nearer to the abandoned village, Po was gazing with wonder. The minute they hit land, Po eagerly scrambled up the banks and towards the village.

“Po!” Leo called, “Be careful. Those ruins could be dangerous.” Leo gently stepped onto the ground and Milu followed.

Leo looked around cautiously. The atmosphere was gloomy. Despite dawn approaching, a somber feeling hung in the air. Old farmhouses and shops stood, the entire structure burnt; they looked like a single sneeze would crumble them to dust.

Milu, despite being accustomed to visiting poor and even dilapidated villages, was glancing around nervously. He had never visited a ghost town such as this. He warily approached some remains of a house. Only the foundation remained, leaving the wapiti to guess where the walls were and what used to be in the house.

He stepped over the foundation and, his ears swivelling for sounds of danger, glanced about for anything Po might want to see. All he found, however, was just rotting wood and mossy stone. Nothing that Po- or anything of the trio, for that matter- would find interesting.

Po was slowly looking around. He wasn’t afraid. In fact, he was filled with wonder and excitement. He didn’t touch anything, because even he knew that this place, while abandoned, was still dangerous.

Leo saw the remnants of a campfire. The embers weren’t hot, but the wood wasn’t rotted and he could see someone trying to shelter here.

“Someone’s been here before us.” He whispered to himself. 

“This..this is where it all started..” Po mumbled, “I was born here. Wow.” The panda was breathless. He could see it now: happy pandas running and playing. The sun would be shining. Po frowned. How he would have loved to see this place.

Leo and Milu stepped cautiously out of the makeshift camp and glanced around. Po suddenly tripped over a piece of wood. He looked down and saw that the plank he tripped was covering something.

Po nudged aside the wood planks and saw a little stuffed panda. He picked it up and examined it.

The entire village was on fire. A little panda cub was huddled to himself, crying, as he watched the onslaught of wolves killing pandas. He clutched a stuffed panda to his chest. 

Screams of agony and fear pounded his ears.

Po recoiled, holding a hand his head and gasping. Milu, noticing his sudden change in demeanor, advanced towards him in concern. However, Leo, simply held out his paw to stop the wapiti,

“Don’t disrupt him. He is discovering his past.”

Milu’s eyes widened as he watched Po go through another vision:

A white peacock, his tail feathers unfurled in a scary display of red and white, shouted and pointed at the baby panda. Two wolves leapt at the cub, but a large male panda intercepted them, hitting one of them in the chest with a large hammer. The wolf collided with his comrade and flew back towards the peacock, who was astonished.

“Take our son! Run away, go!” The male panda shouted.

A mother panda grabbing her son and hurrying towards the woods. Her breath was labored and her baby cried as he left the stuffed panda, which was buried by a pile of wood.

Father? Po thought to himself. His parents had fought to protect him. Him.

Several drops of rain began to fall, hitting Leo and Milu in the head as they witnessed Po’s revelations.

Po was gasping as he tried to process all of these emotions. It was like his mind was at war with itself and all he could do was try not to drown in the waves.

“You are alright, Po, we are here.” Milu tried to encourage the panda.

Po tried to calm down. He tried to make peace with the memories, but the shrieks of his dying kin, the harsh barks of the wolves, and the irritating clang of metal still rang in his ears.

Mother was trudging through the snow, her feet crunching with every step. She held onto the baby like it was the one thing keeping her alive. 

Po held a paw up to his head and tried to steady his breathing. But his mind still raced, trying to block out the memories and let him live in blissful ignorance.

“Don’t fight the current, Po.” Leo purred, “Let the waves guide you.”

Hearing this, the panda’s mind stilled. A fat raindrop hit the center of his head. Po slowly looked up at the grey clouds that dominated the sky. Thunder rumbled in the distance. More rain started to fall.

Po felt another vision flash in his mind. 

Wolves on either side of Mother, snapping and lunging. Mother narrowly dodges and runs towards the horizon, her footsteps heavy as she weaves between the trees.

Po, with his eyes closed, lifted his paw up to the sky, waiting. A raindrop fell towards his palm, and it landed gently, very gently, like a feather landing on still water.

With his eyes still closed, Po twirled the water droplet in his hand, almost as if he were afraid to break it. He began performing a tai chi ritual. His mind stilled and he let the memories, once terrifying tempests and surges, calm down into gentle waves.

Mother had outrun the wolves. For now. She slid down a hillslope and landed next to a delivery cart full of lettuce, celery, and radishes. Realizing what must be done to save her baby, the mother gently placed him into the radish crate.

The baby giggled softly, nibbling on a large radish and staring at his mother lovingly. Po’s mother softly kissed the baby and turned to leave. The young panda wailed for his mother, and she turned around, trying to hush him.

She began humming a soft tune. It was a lullaby. A lullaby that would always put the baby panda to sleep. She tried to draw out the moment as long as she could. The baby, hearing the familiar tune, began to grow drowsy. He yawned and the mother giggled. 

She kissed her child lovingly on the head, and, taking in a shaky breath, hummed the last few notes of the lullaby. With the little baby too sleepy to make noise, the mother turned and clambered up the hill.

She made it to the top. In the distance, sniffing on the ground, she saw the wolves. Behind them was a young white peacock.

Casting one last sorrowful glance to her sleeping babe in the radish crate, the mother waved her arms, catching the attention of her assassins. 

The wolves charged at her with angry snarls, with the white peacock in close pursuit. The mother ran as far and as fast as she could away from her child. 

Po, his eyes still closed, placed the rain droplet on top of a leaf, and he opened his eyes calmly,

“My mother..she..” Then, although he had reconciled with his memories, Po felt the realization of all of this come flooding in. His mother had not abandoned him out of spite, but out of love, “She loved me.” His voice was thick as his throat tightened. He felt his eyes water.

Leo placed a gentle paw on Po’s shoulder, “Imagine how proud she would be if she could see you now. The Dragon Warrior..” Leo breathed.

Po nodded sadly. He was the Dragon Warrior. The Dragon Warrior! He felt a smile crease his muzzle as he remembered first coming to the Jade Palace. Shifu and the Five may not have been so welcoming of him then, but now they would die for him! And he would die for them. They were his family. His home.

Po grabbed Leo and gave him a great big hug. Leo smiled and returned the hug. Milu, who normally would have told Po off for possibly harming Leo’s healing progress with hugs like that, simply watched and let the panda have his moment.

When Po let Leo go, the lion spoke softly, “Would you like to head home now?”

“Yeah. Let’s go home.”  
.  
.  
In the Mountains  
.  
.  
Dawn light filtered into the factory as Alpha and Shen stared at the creation before them. Shen in maniacal glee and Alpha in well-concealed and well-deserved fear.

This one was bigger than ever before. The entire stock of remaining metal had been used in the creation of this monster. It was so big that, after running out of metal, Shen insisted that the wolves begin taking metal from the factory structure itself. By the time the weapon was finished, Alpha was surprised that the building didn’t collapse.

Even though they had no previous weapons to compare it to, this one was at least three times the size. The dragon’s mouth on the front was painted red and white, signifying the beginning of Shen’s reign and the destruction of Kung Fu. 

“The Valley of Peace Destroyer is too long.” Shen hummed to himself.

“What was that, my Lord?” Alpha turned to look at Shen with his good eye.

“I need a name for this one. I was thinking The Valley of Peace Destroyer, but it is too wordy. Ah! I know. Peace Destroyer.” Shen’s pupils shrank in mania, and a crazed grin creased his beak.

“Peace Destroyer? Seems a little harsh.” Alpha mumbled. But after taking a glance at it, he decided not to question it. Shen could probably fit inside the mouth of this Peace Destroyer, and there would be room to spare. If Shen heard his comment, he ignored it.

“We move out.” Shen, with a small limp, went to gather his lance and throwing knives. Every wolf armed themself with a bow, a quiver full of arrows, and a sword. Each wolf also had to pull a cart full of boxes, barrels and bags full of gunpowder and ammunition.

When all of the wolves were ready, Shen took the helm. The Peace Destroyer towered behind him as the wolves hauled it through the snow. Wheels on the bottom allowed for it to be easily transported by the wolves. 

Alpha, who was walking just behind Shen, sent a scout to find the most isolated path. If Shen’s militia was to get to the Valley of Peace unnoticed with that huge weapon in tow, they would need to pull out all the stops and not be noticed by anyone, he reasoned.

“You know the way to the Valley of Peace, my Lord?” Alpha asked Shen.

“Of course I do.” Shen hissed, “We should arrive tomorrow at noon if we keep this pace.” He said quietly. His red eyes were fixed forward. 

“What is your plan, my Lord? What happens when we get there?” Alpha asked curiously.

Shen gave Alpha a look and thought for a moment. Alpha saw a puff a breath in the cold air, and then the peacock answered, “First we will destroy the Jade Palace. Then the Valley of Peace. Then..” The peacock went quiet for a moment while he thought, “we shall march straight to Bei Jing.”

Alpha’s mind instantly returned to the journal that he read. After Shen crowned himself emperor after conquering the Capital City, he was going to kill Alpha in front of all of his wolves. Alpha looked behind him and saw Shui, carrying two bags full of gunpowder and walking beside the Peace Destroyer. What would she do if she saw Alpha, her love, killed in front of her?

So the wolf began coming up with a plan. He had to figure out how to get him and Shui away from Shen. He had until noon tomorrow.


	15. Up in Flames

Tigress

...

Gentle light was filtering through the screen windows of Tigress' room when she woke. With a great yawn, she stretched her arms and swung her legs over the bed. She felt today was going to be a good day. Maybe she would visit Master Oogway.

Tigress walked calmly to the Sacred Peach Tree. Even though Master Oogway had technically not been buried, the tiger liked to think that the peach tree was his final resting place. It was where he ascended, after all.

As she climbed the steps and arrived at the great tree, she found Master Shifu. He was sitting, facing the Valley, and meditating under the tree.

"Greetings, Master." Tigress said, with a smile on her face.

"You're up early." Master Shifu commented, turning to look at her.

"It's just a...beautiful day outside." She sat by him. A gust of wind blew past her face, carrying some peach petals with it, "I figured I would get some peace and quiet while Po is away."

"Tigress, you know better." Shifu scolded lightly, "He is the Dragon Warrior." He took a deep breath, "But yes, he is a bit loud. I hope he finds what he is looking for."

"What was he looking for?" Tigress asked curiously. Shifu flicked his ear as he explained.

"Po, Leo, and Milu went to find the abandoned panda village. The one that Shen destroyed many years ago." Shifu closed his eyes and breathed in a deep breath.

"Oh. Master Leo said something about that while we were in Peacock Tower. About bringing his crimes to light." Tigress commented offhandedly.

"What are you talking about?" Shifu turned his full attention to Tigress. The tiger looked at Shifu, and began explaining,

"Shen said something...like how he couldn't forget how Master Leo turned his family against him, and that Master Leo did what he had to by exposing Lord Shen's crimes."

Shifu's eyes widened as he heard Tigress explain everything. Is this what Leo did while he was away after Tai Lung was arrested? Leo had said that all he did was meditate in the mountains. He never said anything like being involved in the politics of Gongmen City.

"Shen and Master Leo fought in the tower. It seemed like Shen was trying to silence him. But before Shen killed him, Viper freed us and we destroyed the weapon.

"Master Leo never did explain to me how he knew what Shen had done." Tigress finished quietly.

The sun had fully risen and was bathing the Valley in bright golden light at this point. Master Shifu was quiet as he took all of Tigress' words in. Shifu nodded gently and stroked the wooden staff he was holding,

"Thank you for telling me this, Tigress. Lord Shen is dead, though, and I am sure Master Leo will explain everything properly once he gets back. Let's go train a little bit. Maybe Milu will let Leo spar a little when they return." Shifu got up and started towards the Training Hall, with Tigress in tow.

...

Alpha

…

The scout had returned and the Valley of Peace was within eyesight. Alpha could see the Jade Palace glinting on the far horizon. Another couple hours of walking, and the wolf huffed at the thought of it.

They had been walking since yesterday morning without any rest and Alpha's legs, which were still healing from the explosion several weeks ago, were aching. Shen, on the other hand, rested patiently on top of the Peace Destroyer. Whether he was meditating, healing, or just reveling in the silence before the storm, Alpha didn't know.

Shui was in front of the Peace Destroyer. The she-wolf had often broken off of the path to find berries and nuts for the militia to strengthen them before the battle. Alpha had refused any food, leaving his pack to eat before him.

As he walked, his mind wandered. He still didn't have a plan to get him and Shui away from Shen before Shen killed him in Bei Jing. He wished it was as simple as just running away. However, Alpha knew that Shen could just send out a scout to find him and bring him back. Alpha tried not to encourage that thought.

Shui, casting a careful glance to make sure that Shen wasn't looking, fell in step beside Alpha, "I have something I wanted to tell you, my dear."

"What is it?" asked Alpha, "Sorry, I'm just thinking about how this battle will go."

"I'm with child." Shui whispered. A big grin was creasing her muzzle. Her blue eyes excitedly searched Alpha's dark eyes in search of a reaction.

Alpha stopped in his tracks, but then caught up with Shui after another wolf bumped into him. He looked at her with his good eye and smiled, "Are you serious?" He whispered, careful not to let anyone else hear.

The light grey wolf nodded and gently placed a paw on her stomach. Alpha felt the joy bubble in him. He hugged his wife, but then he felt the dread take over. If the stakes were bad enough before, they were very high now.

"After this battle, we will run away together." He whispered happily into her ear, "We will find a way to escape Shen, and we will live together, just the three of us."

"Yes! I shall wait for you." Shui giggled excitedly. She planted a quick kiss on Alpha's cheek and scampered towards the Peace Destroyer to avoid drawing suspicion.

Alpha felt a goofy smile plaster itself on his face. He was going to be a father! He and Shui would run away and live in solitude. Maybe become farmers. Alpha would teach his pup how to defend themselves and how to wield a sword. Maybe Shui would teach them to sew and mend clothes.

These fantasies occupied Alpha's mind for a good several hours. The walk was much more bearable, and the wolf walked with a spring in his step. Even though the other wolves had no clue what Alpha was so happy about, they mimicked him. Soon, all the other wolves were high-spirited and ready for whatever life threw at them.

Maybe Alpha could bring the other wolves with him. He would start a whole new town, full of wolves. Similar to the pandas, they could simply live in peace. Raise their own children and teach them their ways.

{Shen wrote that he would kill me to prevent the wolves from uprising. But, what if we rose up before he killed me? We shall leave this princeling with his crazed dreams of glory.}

Alpha thought about the wolf village. Would they be farmers? Swordsmen? Or maybe traders? The wolf was so caught up in his thoughts he didn't notice Shen hop down beside him:

"Wipe that silly grin off your face, dog. I know you aren't that excited to attack. We've done this before." Shen said, callously.

Alpha, annoyed that Shen was so heartless, snorted. "Maybe I am." He muttered.

"What?" Shen glared at Alpha, "Name one reason you have to attack the Jade Palace, other than being under my orders."

Alpha thought for a moment, nearly panicking. Shen, thinking he had called Alpha's bluff, smirked. Then Alpha spoke,

"I could avenge my eye." He pointed to his left eye, which was permanently closed.

"You lost your eye when we attacked the panda village, stupid." Shen muttered, looking at the Jade Palace in the distance.

Alpha shook his head, "You're thinking of when that panda attacked me. He hit me in the chest." Alpha moved some of his armor out of the way to reveal a scar on his chest; it was right where Po's father hit him with the hammer. Shen glanced at in surprise for a moment then asked, "How did you lose your eye?"

"It was several years after we left Gongmen." Alpha thought. "You had sent me out with a patrol to find some metal, and I went off on my own."

A younger, more spry Alpha trotted down the streets of the village. Civilians of all ages and species weaved through the streets. People were purchasing goods, transporting food or equipment, or just talking and socializing.

Alpha had never been to this village before, but he figured if they were anything like the others, they would have plenty of what he needed. All he had to do was find it.

Metal pots and pans were easy to come by. Alpha, after pickpocketing a few coins, paid for the metal and put it all in a locked cart he kept in an alleyway.

He spent nearly a week doing this: grabbing a few loose coins and buying what he could. He didn't have other wolves to back him up so he couldn't rob anyone or hold the village hostage.

However, on his last day, Alpha was wandering the streets when he saw a lone tiger cub enter a jade shop.

Alpha followed the cub into the shop. He hadn't seen anything like her in all of the villages he had raided. She was maybe about ten or eleven years old, and was eagerly looking at all of the jade trinkets.

Then, the wolf looked up. A large lion was accompanying her. Leo Lung… Alpha thought. Alpha had seen it when Leo Lung confronted Shen and Shen's parents in Peacock Tower. The wolf quickly turned his back, hoping that the lion didn't recognize him. The gig is up, thought Alpha, time to go.

However, the little tiger cub, who Alpha would later realize was Tigress, was wandering curiously around the shop. Leo Lung's back was turned. Alpha thought for a moment. What if, along with the metal, he brought back a tiger cub for Shen's army? She would be a force to be reckoned with. A useful asset in Shen's plan to conquer China.

Alpha, however, wasn't the best at tempting little children. He tried to lure her away from Leo Lung with promises of candy and treats. Once he and the tiger cub were out of the jade shop, he grabbed her wrist and dragged her to the cart as fast as he could. If he could get out of the Valley of Peace, he would be home free essentially.

But the cub cried, kicked, and shouted. Alpha was just about to load her into the cart and run when a shadow darkened the entrance of the alleyway. It was Leo Lung, who had heard Tigress' calls for help. The lion, with a roar of anger, lunged and began pummelling Alpha.

The tiger cub managed to escape, but Leo Lung did not relent. His claws were a whirl of fury, and Alpha put his hands up to defend himself. His muzzle, ears, and nose became bloody as the lion attacked. One of Leo Lung's claws fell towards his face, and Alpha's entire vision became red.

Leo Lung had slashed his left eye out. Alpha howled in pain and pushed Leo Lung off with a strength he didn't know he had. With one arm covering his eye, Alpha ran as fast as he could back to the factory. He didn't even grab the cart of metal.

He could hear Leo Lung snarling after him, "Never come back!"

The furious roars of the lion echoed in Alpha's ears. Shen stared at him in what seemed like surprise,

"I always thought you lost it when we attacked the panda village. Oh well, another reason to destroy the Jade Palace, I suppose." Shen whispered. Alpha shrugged,

"I recognized him when I saw him in the musicians village. When he was with that panda, although I didn't say anything."

"Leo Lung has been a thorn in my side since the beginning," Shen regained his composure and gazed into the distance, "We are nearly here."

The peacock pointed to a ledge overlooking the Valley, "Put the Peace Destroyer there. Aim it at the Jade Palace."

The wolves, with a great groan, moved the huge weapon into place. The wolves, without needing to be told, began loading gunpowder kegs into the weapon. Shen stood on one side of the Peace Destroyer. Alpha stood on the other.

The weapon faced perpendicular to the Jade Palace, and had a clear shot to the Valley of Peace, which lay quietly below.

"Cover the weapon with plants. I don't want them to find it." Shen instructed the wolves. The wolves ripped branches from nearby trees and shrubs and surrounded the weapon with foliage. To anyone looking from a distance it would just seem like a normal bush.

Shen giggled quietly, and his pupils shrunk in that familiar mania, "I've been waiting for this moment for so many years. The Year of the Peacock is now! Fire!"

…

Tigress

…

"Hee...yah!" Tigress yowled as she leapt from training obstacle to obstacle. Monkey, Viper, Crane and Mantis accompanied her as she trained.

Shifu watched approvingly from the side of the Training Hall as the Furious Five trained, "Good work everyone!" He smiled, "You may take a break."

Tigress halted her training and leapt towards the red panda. She smiled and bowed to Master Shifu, "Thank you, Master." The rest of the Five copied her, and they began to stretch and talk eagerly about whatever. Master Shifu began towards the exit.

Tigress began to stretch her arms when suddenly the entire ground shook. A huge boom rang through the air. It was absolutely deafening. Tigress jumped in surprise, "What the-?!"

Shifu looked around, "What was that? It sounded like something coming from the Main Building." He said, "I'll go check it out." The red panda ran as fast as he could towards the exit of the hall.

Suddenly the far wall on the Training Hall exploded with an ear-splitting crack, and the wall collapsed. Training equipment flew in every direction, including axes, knives, and swords. Shifu was blown backwards away from the door, and he hit the wall with a grunt.

"What's going on?!" Viper shouted, using her tail to deflect a sword that would've sliced her in half.

"Get outside!" Tigress ordered.

Shifu and the Five evacuated the Training Hall just as another very loud explosion rang out across the Palace,

"We're under attack!" Shifu shouted.

Indeed, the Training Hall was half-collapsed. The main building had a gaping hole in the side and the dorm rooms were on fire.

The six animals stared in absolute shock. Viper had tears pricking her eyes and Monkey covered his mouth in horror. Crane's beak had fallen open. Palace attendants ran around shrieking in fear.

"Viper! Monkey! Make sure all of the attendants get out!" Shifu said.

"On it!" They both said.

However, before any animals could move, another explosion was heard from the Valley. The Masters turned. Several buildings- homes and shops owned by the citizens- had been struck with whatever hit the Palace. A large fire began to spread, and Tigress felt her heart drop to her feet as screams rose from the Valley.

"Crane! Mantis! Evacuate the villagers! Viper and Monkey will meet up with you. Tigress, you and I must find whomever is doing this!" Shifu ordered, "Go!"

Every animal began to do their assigned duties. Tigress and Shifu ran to the Sacred Peach Tree, the highest point at the Palace, and began scanning the horizon for any sign of whatever could do this.

Tigress caught sight of Zeng, who was flapping his wings in a panicked fashion to get away, and she called for him, "Zeng!"

Ever loyal to his job, the messenger goose flew towards her, but his small body was trembling from the loud sounds and explosions.

"Find Master Leo and Po! They should be on the river. Tell them the Jade Palace and Valley of Peace are under attack!"

"Yes, Master Tigress!" Zeng said, shakily, and he took off. Another explosion rang out across the Valley, and several more buildings in the town below exploded into debris and flames.

"What could be doing this?" Shifu murmured to himself as he scanned the mountaintops.

Tigress practically felt the bolt of realization hit her. She remembered back to when Shen had opened fire on Peacock Tower.

"It's like one of Shen's weapons..but that's impossible." Tigress said, "Shen died in the factory explosion.."

Shifu frowned as another couple of buildings exploded. More screams echoed across the Valley. Shifu looked at Tigress, "Well Shen must've come back to life. We need to find where the weapon is before any more people are hurt."

Tigress nodded, and began scanning the mountain tops.

…

Leo

…

Leo was meditating on the edge of the boat when Zeng collapsed in a trembling hemp near him.

"M-Master! Master Leo! Po!" The goose was absolutely petrified. He was shaking like in a storm.

"Zeng?" Leo turned and looked at the goose. Po, who was inside the sleeping quarters, came out at the sound of his name,

"What's wrong?" Po asked. He seemed concerned.

After taking a moment to catch his breath and still his quaking body, Zeng spoke, "The Valley! The Valley of Peace is under attack! The Jade Palace was attacked!" With that, the goose fainted.

Leo inhaled sharply. Po looked at Master Leo, "The Jade Palace is under attack! We have to get back!" Leo nodded and hopped to where the sail was. He adjusted the sail and let the wind carry them home.

The boat jerked as it picked up speed and Po nearly fell. Milu stumbled out of the sleeping quarters and looked up at Leo, who was guiding the boat,

"What is going on? Why have we picked up speed?"

"The Jade Palace has been attacked!" Po exclaimed, pacing back and forth, "How long until we get back?"

"Not long now!" Leo said, letting the sail go as the boat glided swiftly forward.

About 10 minutes later of Leo guiding the boat and Po pacing anxiously with Milu trying to wake Zeng, the boat turned a corner around a mountain and the three animals were met with a horrific sight.

The Valley of Peace was up in flames. Ugly gray smoke and shrill screams filled the air. The atmosphere was tainted red. The Jade Palace wasn't even visible due to the smoke in the air. Leo's nose was bombarded with the acrid tang of smoke and burning wood. His ears involuntarily pinned back against his head, trying to block out the horrific shrieks of fear and agony.

Leo nearly screamed in horror himself and Po's hands flew to his head,

"Dad!" He shouted. He didn't get a response.

Milu's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. Although he had travelled far and wide, the wapiti had never seen anything like this. His heart ached and his brain demanded he go find the injured.

The moment the boat touched the docks, Po ran to go find his father. Leo and Milu each ran on all fours towards the Jade Palace. Leo raced up the steps five at a time with the wapiti close on his heels.

When Leo reached the top, he began to cough and hack. He turned and saw a good 75% percent of the Valley was burning. A pang of sorrow, horror, and anger filled his veins. Whoever did this would feel his wrath. Milu caught up to him and grabbed Leo's shoulders,

"We must find your comrades! Otherwise you need to get out of here." The wapiti tried to remain calm. Leo nodded and turned to look at the Jade Palace.

The dorm rooms, main building, and Training Hall had all caught fire. The only buildings that had been spared so far were the Hall of Sacred Warriors and the Ancient Scroll Archives.

"We need to save those scrolls before they are gone!" Leo shouted over the screams of the villagers and the crackle of the fire.

"You do that, I will search for anyone who might still be in there!" Milu said. The wapiti fell onto all fours and darted towards the fire, skirting around the flames and calling for any survivors.

Leo ran as fast as he could to the Archives, praising whatever God or Goddess there was that the building had been spared. He ran in and began to handpick the most important scrolls that could not be replicated such as The Dragon Scroll and Master Oogway's Scroll, which was in a hard green case, and several others that Leo figured shouldn't be lost.

A blaze of heat flew up Leo's back. The lion turned around and saw that the entrance of the Archives had caught fire. Deciding to simply take the scrolls he had, the lion leapt through the flames and left the rest of the scrolls.

It hurt Leo to leave the thousands of other scrolls in here, but he had no time. Tucking the scrolls under one arm, he cupped his paws to his mouth, "Shifu! Milu! Where are you?!"

The sound of hooves clicking alerted Leo. An antlered form materialized through the smoke, and Milu appeared, with Shifu riding on his back. The red panda's fur was matted and dirty,

"Tigress is helping with the evacuation. We need to go!" He urged. Leo nodded and, without a second of hesitation, all three animals ran out of the Jade Palace.

…

When Leo, Shifu and Milu reached Tigress, Po and the rest of the Valley of Peace, Leo felt relief wash over him. They had crossed a bridge over the river to safety and were watching the Valley- their home- go up in smoke.

Po was sitting next to his dad, Ping. The panda was comforting the goose, who was crying over the noodle shop. Viper and Mantis were checking on the villagers. Crane was getting a headcount as best as he could, and Monkey was trying to boost the morale of the younger civilians: telling jokes, playing, and just trying to draw their attention from the burning village.

Tigress approached Leo. Her expression, which was one of sorrow, turned to relief as she saw her brother figure appear over the bridge. She embraced Leo in a tight hug,

"Do you know who's doing this?" Leo asked quietly, gently returning her hug. Tigress let go and looked at Leo,

"We think it's Shen. We saw it. It's just like his weapons, but worse." She whispered.

Leo felt his lips purse and his jaw tighten in anger, "So Shen wasn't killed in the explosion." He hissed in anger. He turned and looked at the village across the river, "He's taking revenge. That's what this is."

"We need to find him." Shifu said, hopping down from Milu's back, "Destroy whatever weapons he has left. Kill him if we have to. We have to do what we can to save the Valley and Kung Fu."

Tigress and Leo nodded resolutely. Shifu turned to Milu, "I know a lot of your medical supplies were in the Palace, but if you can help whoever is injured-"

"Say no more, little panda." Milu nodded and walked off into the throng of scared, shivering, and sobbing villagers.

Leo, Shifu and Tigress began to gather the rest of the Five and Po. Right as Shifu was about to split them up to search for Shen, many more animals began to cross the bridge.

Leo's spine stiffened in absolute horror. If the meeting in Peacock Tower made Leo nervous, then this was absolutely nerve-wracking.

There in the middle of the bridge, with an army of armor-clad, sword- and bow-wielding wolves, stood the white peacock himself.

Shen was alive.


	16. The End of Tyranny

Shen was alive. He wasn't killed in the factory explosion. He walked with a limp, but the army of wolves barked, growled, and snapped. Alpha, whom Leo had also thought had died, stood next to the peacock. He had a war hammer in one hand and a sword in the other.

Lord Shen stared at the gathered villagers, who were crying and staring at him in absolute fear. Some of them screamed. Shen saw the Jade Palace Masters who stood defensively in front of the civilians. He sneered at Tigress, glared at Po and looked like he was ready to kill Leo Lung.

"Boo." Shen grabbed his lance and unfurled his tail feathers in a scary display of red, black and white.

The villagers shrieked and began to panic- running off into the mountains, into the river, and into each other.

Milu, without needing to be told, began trying to calm everyone down. He tried to herd everyone back into a group, and, sensing the forthcoming battle, he led them off into the safety of the mountains. The villagers, trusting the newcomer, followed him and cast scared glances at Shen. The Jade Palace Masters simply stood their ground at the end of the bridge.

The two armies faced off against one another. Before any of the Kung Fu Masters could attack, Shen waved one of his hands. A loud scraping sound rang out louder than the roaring fire across the river.

A huge thing appeared out of the smoke. It was being hauled by at least twenty wolves, and it was placed on the opposite side of the river, facing the retreating villagers.

With a shock of realization Leo realized it was a weapon! But this one was huge. It was bigger than any other weapon that Shen had made.

"Well, well, well," Shen said with a crazed giggle, "it seems my plans are working out after all."

Shifu stepped forward, his ears pinned back in anger, "You may have destroyed the-"

"Oh no, I'm not worried about you, little panda." Shen said, with an offhanded glance to Shifu, "I'm talking to Leo Lung." The peacock began to stalk forward, towards the end of the bridge, "My reign is just beginning." Shen laughed breathily.

With that, the fuse on the Peace Destroyer was lit by one of the wolves. It was facing the villagers and Milu, who had taken refuge higher up on the mountain.

"No!" Leo roared. But before he could stop it, the weapon ignited with a fiery blast. The cannonball hurtled towards the villagers: Po's father, Milu, innocent women and children, all in the crosshairs. Leo shut his eyes and waited for the pang of the explosion and death.

However, he heard none of that. He looked up and saw that Po had dived in front of the cannon and- instead of being instantly obliterated on the spot- he was holding the cannonball back!

Leo watched in amazement as Po threw the cannonball back into the river, where it began to steam and sink harmlessly to the bottom.

Shen, Shifu, and all of the Master's eyes widened, as did Po's. Just a second ago, he was standing right next to Leo and Shifu, but now he stood, feet planted, in front of the Peace Destroyer.

Po smirked triumphantly and opened his arms as invitation, only to see both of his arms were on fire. The panda screamed and ran around hopelessly while Shen watched in sadistic gratification.

Po thrust both of his arms into the river water, sighing in relief when the fire was put out. Shen, who was stunned silent for a moment, turned and looked back at his wolves, "Fire again!"

The wolves lit the fuse, and the weapon exploded another ball out. Po was pushed back by the force of the fireball, but then he dug his feet in. Po grabbed the cannonball and spun it around his body, then hurling it into the river. The villagers, watching from the mountain, cheered as the Dragon Warrior defied the odds to save them.

Po pointed to himself then to Shen, 'I'm coming for you,' he seemed to say. Shen glared daggers at the panda, then raised his lance and crowed loudly,

"Attack! Leave no survivors!" He shouted.

With a war cry that almost rivaled the sound of the raging fire in the Valley, the wolf army surged forward.

The wolves charged across the bridge, their swords raised. Some of the wolves stayed back and loaded their arrows into the bows.

"Yeahhh!" Po cried, leading the charge of the Jade Palace Warriors.

The two armies clashed at the base of the mountain. The wolves swung their swords, while the archers aimed their bows. Leo Lung saw the archers standing at the far end of the bridge and charged towards them.

The lions paws hit the wood bridge as the archers drew their bows back. Feeling an arrow lodge itself in his still-recovering mane, Leo snarled and attacked the wolves, elbowing one in the muzzle and sidekicking another.

Leo ripped the arrow out and felt a stinging sensation in his neck. His mane hadn't been enough to stop the arrow. But he didn't have time to think as another wolf swung a knife at him, and another loaded his bow with an arrow tipped in fire.

He ducked just in time to dodge the knife, which would've sliced his ears off, and he gut punched that wolf before he grabbed the archer's bow and yanked it out of his paws.

The archer unsheathed a large sword and swung it. Leo, who wasn't armed, leapt backwards out of range. The wolf aimed his sword forward and charged. Leo ducked to the side, but the wolf turned and punched Leo in his ribs.

Pain exploded in Leo's torso where the wolf hit, and Leo cried out in agony. The wolf smirked in victory and swung his sword to behead the lion, but a flash of orange and black disabled the wolf before he could kill Leo Lung.

Tigress pounced on the wolf and knocked him clean out. Leo, one paw on his ribs, nodded a thanks to the tiger. Tigress nodded in return and leapt back to the base of the mountain, towards Shen, who was battling Shifu.

Leo saw a group of wolves break off from the main battle and charge towards the villagers, who screamed in fear.

The lion ran after them, but suddenly the wolves were knocked backwards. Milu stood on all fours with his head down, antlers pointed out. He stomped the ground with his hoof and snorted a challenge to the wolves. One wolf leapt at him but Milu charged, pinning the wolf to the ground with his antlers. Another wolf tried to flank around the wapiti, but Milu kicked out with his hind legs, hitting the wolf in the head.

Leo sighed with the relief that the villagers were well-defended. He saw that Viper, Monkey, and Mantis were battling against Alpha, who swung his war hammer fended off the three warriors.

Running to their aid, Leo leapt onto Alpha from behind, pinning the wolf to the ground. Alpha writhed violently underneath him, but Leo suddenly felt a weight on his back.

Leo fell backwards off of Alpha, and twisted to see a light grey wolf clinging to his back, digging their claws into his fur. Leo grabbed the wolf and threw them to the ground, ready to pummel them, when Alpha, who had recovered his footing, swung his war hammer.

With an angry roar, Leo ducked and lunged at the wolf. Leo landed on Alpha's chest and the two rolled on the ground, kicking and snarling at each other.

Alpha snapped his jaws and clamped down on Leo's nose, causing the lion to yowl and slash out with his claws.

The wolf howled in pain, rolling out from underneath Leo and holding his right eye. With a gasp, Leo realized that he had hit Alpha's eye.

However, Alpha blinked away the blood. His teeth curled in a menacing snarl and he glared at Leo with absolute hatred,

"Thought you could blind me in my other eye, huh?" He growled.

"What are you talking about?" Leo snarled, his tail lashing. He punched a wolf that got too close, knocking it out cold.

"When I tried to kidnap that tiger, years ago. I almost escaped, then you attacked. Blinded me in my left eye."

Leo narrowed his eyes in confusion. Then he remembered. It was Tigress' tenth birthday. Leo remembered the rage and fear of seeing that wolf- this wolf standing in front of him- try to steal Tigress from him.

"I remember just fine!" Leo growled.

"And so do I!" Yowled Tigress, appearing next to Leo. She had heard everything. Her claws were unsheathed and her pupils had shrunken into slits. Alpha's eyes widened as Tigress lunged at him with a roar to shake the ground.

Tigress landed on top of Alpha and unleashed a fury seen by no one before. The battle slowed to a halt as everyone watched the bloody spectacle.

Tigress channeled the fear that he had instilled in her that day. The nightmares of being kidnapped and sold. The fear of dogs that was only conquered through exposure therapy in Gongmen. How she had refused to go anywhere alone until she met the rest of the Five.

Alpha kicked Tigress in the stomach to try and divert her attention, but it only seemed to add fuel to her fire. She roared in anger and slashed, bit and clawed.

Shen, who was battling Viper on the bridge, watched in near terror as his general was ripped apart by the angry tiger. He couldn't look away.

When Tigress leapt off of him, landing only a few feet away on all four paws, everyone stared at her in horror. Alpha was a bloody mess, and the only sign of life was him rasping for breath.

The wolves, who had been watching in fear, howled in pain for their alpha. A light grey she-wolf- the same that attacked Leo earlier- pushed to the front of the battle. When she caught sight of Alpha's body on the ground, she screamed in sorrow, running to his side.

"My Alpha! Please, you promised me! Please do not leave me." She sobbed, kneeling beside the dark grey wolf.

Leo tilted his head in confusion. Was this Alpha's mate? He didn't even know that Alpha was able to love anyone.

As the rest of the wolves slowly approached their dying leader, a bolt of realization hit Leo Lung. These were not just mindless soldiers, he realized. They were family.

"You told me we would build a family together." The she-wolf sobbed, burying her nose into his fur. Her eyes were squinted shut and she ground her teeth in sadness.

Alpha stirred, startling everyone. He raised a large paw to Shui's face, brushing away one of her tears. Shui tried to smile, but more tears fell. She kissed his bloodied nose. Alpha's paw fell, and the light in his bloody right eye faded.

Shui hung her head in sadness. She let out a mournful howl, and was joined by the rest of the wolves. The sorrowful chorus filled the air. Even the villagers and Milu heard it up in the mountain.

Tigress stood next to Leo, her eyes wide in fear, "Master Leo I-"

"You!" Shen crowed, pointing his lance at Tigress, "You killed my general!" The peacock leapt up and flew towards the Peace Destroyer. He landed on top of it.

"Shen! Don't!" Shui cried, cradling her husband's body. She glanced desperately at Tigress then back at the peacock.

"Quiet, mutt." Shen growled, "I always knew you weren't loyal." Shui gasped at the peacock's cruel words. The wolves snarled in anger.

Shen, with the Peace Destroyer aimed right at Tigress, ignited the spark. The cannon blasted. Tigress gasped, but before she could move out of the way, Po leapt in front of the cannonball. With all the strength of a dragon, Po pushed against the fireball.

The two forces collided, and began to spin in a vertical circle. Leo, Tigress, Shifu, Viper, Mantis, Crane, Monkey, Milu and all of the villagers watched in amazement as a Yin Yang symbol materialized from Po's body and the fireball.

Shen's mind drifted back to the Soothsayer's prophecy. Both times she predicted his future, she showed him the Yin Yang. This must've been what she meant. Pure, well-deserved fear lodged itself in the prince's heart.

Po spun around once more, "Skadoosh." He flung the fireball right down the Peace Destroyer's throat.

The cannon exploded, causing Shen to fly backwards and hit a wall. A crack was heard, and the peacock slumped against the wall.

Po walked across the bridge to meet him. Shen, too weak to get up, glared at the panda that approached him. He grabbed at a throwing knife, but coughed meagerly and dropped the knife.

Shen stared at Po. So this was it, he thought. He opened his beak to talk. Shen expected himself to come up with some snarky remark, but instead he asked: "How? How did you do it, panda? I took away your family. Everything.."

Po stared down at the sad form of the peacock. He frowned and answered without thinking, "I have my family right here." He looked behind him, and saw that, just across the river, stood his family.

His dad, who taught him that there is no secret ingredient to success. Master Shifu, who taught him to believe in himself. Master Leo Lung, who taught him to be brave. The Furious Five, who taught him how to be hardcore, funny, compassionate, careful, and open-minded. Even the villagers and Milu the Wapiti, who he didn't know that well, helped shape him into the Po that he is.

"They are my family. I would do anything to protect them." Po smiled kindly, "No matter what happened in the past, I know they are there for me. The only thing that matters is if you, Shen, accept your past."

Po held out a paw to Shen. Shen wondered what would happen if he took it. Would he be thrown away into a cell beneath the prison, never to see the light of day again? Or would he be given a second chance in society, with his sins forgiven? Or would the mob of villagers and wolves swarm and kill him on the spot?

Shen sighed, and blinked slowly. His eyes drifted towards the sky. It would normally be painted orange, pink, and violet as the sun began to set. However, smoke from the Valley of Peace and Jade Palace blocked out the sky, turning it a hideous gray.

"Family…" he murmured. Shen felt a small gust of wind blow across the river. It blew the smoke away, revealing the most beautiful sunset over the mountains. He closed his eyes. Already, the Valley of Peace was recovering.

Shen didn't open his eyes.


	17. The Jade Palace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of the battle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final battle is complete, and now to rebuild what has been lost! Alpha and Shen are both gone, so let's see who will step up to lead them! Let's see how our Kung Fu Gang is able to fare while gaining back what they lost.

The sun was beginning to set on the Valley of Peace. The final, sad rays of sunlight filtered through the dark smoke, landing peacefully on Shen's unmoving body.

The peacock lay slumped against a stone wall. The prince of Gongmen City was dead. The wolves, which stood shocked and motionless on the other side of the bridge, looked at each other. They had no Shen and no Alpha to guide them.

Po turned to look at the two armies across the river. They stared at him, some in awe, some in fear and some with respect. He was silent. Po knew what to do first. He turned and picked up Shen's limp body. Everyone watched as the panda respectfully lay Shen's body into the ashy river.

His body was carried several meters before the current overcame him and Shen sank peacefully below the surface. No matter how crazy it seemed, the tyrant was gone. His reign was finally over. Shen's iron grip was released.

Despite all the Shen had done to Po: slaughter his family, attack his friends, steal from innocent civilians, and destroy two peaceful villages, Po still gave him a respectful farewell. Po harbored no ill will towards the white peacock.

Leo Lung breathed a heavy sigh of relief- but not too heavy, his torso was still sore from the wolf that punched him earlier. The wolves, finally free from Shen, shifted their attention to Shui and Alpha. Shui was still kneeling beside her husband's body.

Tigress took a few quiet steps towards Shui. Some of the wolves snarled at her, but she ignored them. She knelt on one knee in front of the light grey she-wolf, and bowed her head,

"I am so sorry." She said, the guilt obvious in her voice, "Something came over me and I..I just-"

Shui laid a delicate paw on Tigress' shoulder. Tigress looked up, her eyes watery, "I forgive you." Shui smiled at Tigress kindly, a gentle smile creasing her muzzle.

Tigress' eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Shui forgave her? After she mercilessly killed her husband? Tigress felt tears filling her eyes about to spill over. Tigress shut her eyes, and began to sob quietly, "Why do you forgive me after I've taken someone so dear to you?"

Shui looked at the body of Alpha, which lay between her and Tigress. She took a deep, quiet breath before answering, "I loved Alpha with all of my heart, and it pains me to see him go. But I do not want to hold a grudge. He fought bravely in battle, and died with his pack by his side. There was no other way he would have wanted to die." She whispered, looking down at the body of her husband.

Tigress followed Shui's gaze and looked at Alpha sadly. She had never killed anyone before this. Even with Shui's forgiveness, would she carry this weight on her shoulders? The conflict was obvious in her eyes, and Leo Lung came up behind her. He placed a gentle paw on her shoulder.

Tigress stood and faced him. Leo Lung, having carried such a terrible weight before, gently hugged his little sister, "You were very brave, kitten. This burden is not one you should carry."

Tigress nodded quietly as Leo Lung walked her away from Alpha's body. At this time, many of the wolves were crying for Alpha. Many of the villagers, led by Milu, came down from the mountain and watched the scene in front of them.

Shui placed a kiss on her husband's forehead and stood, looking at the wolves who surrounded her, "Wolves," she addressed them, "we shall help the Valley of Peace rebuild."

Shifu stepped forward, "We thank you for your help, Miss..uhm." Shifu hesitated,

"Shui." She said, "I shall lead these wolves now. But, to help make up for our crimes, we shall help rebuild your town. Then," Shui hesitated, her gaze drifting across each of the wolves, "we shall take our leave."

"Shui," one of the wolves barked quietly, "where will we go?"

Shui hung her head, "I do not know. But we will find a home, I promise." A hopeful grin creased her muzzle.

"For now, we will set up camp out here until the Jade Palace is rebuilt." Shifu said, taking charge. The villagers looked at him hopefully. Shifu returned their gazes, "Villagers, do not worry. We will not be defeated by this. Hope still lingers in our future."

The villagers nodded happily. Shifu turned to the Jade Palace Masters, "Po and Leo Lung. I want you two to go back to the Jade Palace and recover what you can. Tigress, I need you to lead the Furious Five on a search and rescue mission. Find as many villagers in the rubble as you can. Take a few wagons, just in case."

"Yes, Master."

.

The next couple of days were nothing but work. Not that Leo Lung wasn't used to that already. After the last of the fires were put out, the reconstruction began. The smoke was blown away- with a little help from Crane- and Leo Lung was able to get the full scale of the destruction that Shen had caused.

The lion climbed to the Jade Palace and looked out over the Valley. All of the buildings had some form of damage done- whether they were burnt out or collapsed. He frowned sadly. It would take months, maybe even years, to restore the town to its former glory.

He then turned to look at the Jade Palace. No building was left untouched. The Training Hall, the Dorms, and the Main building were demolished. The Sacred Hall of Warriors had been burnt out, and the Ancient Scroll Archives were, to Leo's great dismay, filled with the ashes of the scrolls that once occupied it.

Leo hung his head. It seemed everything had been destroyed. A gentle paw touched his leg reassuringly. It was Master Shifu, who had followed him up to the Palace,

"Do not worry, Leo. We will have the Jade Palace back, soon enough. We shall restore it to its former glory." Shifu stared at the rubble. His eyes narrowed, as if he were picturing an even better Jade Palace than before.

Leo nodded sadly, his tail nearly dragging the ground. He took a deep breath and calmed himself. Tigress, Po, Viper, Mantis, Crane, and Monkey joined them. They each stared at the where the Jade Palace once stood. Viper sniffled in sadness, but Crane lay a comforting wing on her,

"We can rebuild it." Crane said, gently patting the snake. Leo Lung looked up, and shook his head.

"No. We won't just rebuild it. Let us restore it greater than it was before." The lion smiled encouragingly.

Shifu nodded proudly, "That's the Leo Lung I know."

...

**Ten Months Later**

...

Leo Lung stared in absolute pride at what lay before him.

It was the ten longest months of his life, but they had done it.

After all the rubble had been cleared, all of the debris removed, construction began immediately. Master Shifu had wanted the dorms built first, so his apprentices would have somewhere to sleep.

As opposed to the old dorms, which was just a single hall of rooms, the new dorms had two floors. Master Shifu, Master Leo, and the more experienced warriors had their rooms on the bottom floor, while the newest warriors had rooms on the top floor. Now, Leo had said enthusiastically, the Jade Palace will be able to take in new apprentices. Shifu grew several new grey hairs at the thought of more apprentices.

After the dorms were finished, the Training Hall and the Ancient Scroll Archives were reconstructed. The Training Hall, while still retaining its old obstacles, had several new, modern equipment and methods installed.

A pool of water was installed in the back, with a single pole in the center. There, the trainer must balance on that one pole, or else risk falling and getting wet. Leo, thinking it would be as easy as the Jade Tortoise, tried it out. However, he only had room for one large foot on the pole. Po laughed when Leo, cold and soaked to the bone, hauled himself out of the pool.

There was also The Dark Room. This was a room that was off to the side of the Hall. It wasn't nearly as big as the rest of the Hall. It had a lower ceiling, no shelves, tables, or equipment whatsoever. Two heavy curtains were placed in front of The Dark Room: all sparring was to be done in the dark. When Leo entered The Dark Room for the first time, he couldn't even see his own whiskers. He didn't even detect Shifu silently entering, circling around him, and landing a sturdy kick to his chest. Leo grunted and fell out of The Dark Room. He stared up at Tigress' amused face while Shifu exited smugly.

The Ancient Scroll Archives was empty. All Leo had to contribute was Master Oogway's Scroll and the Dragon Scroll. Shifu, also dismayed at the loss of so much knowledge, looked at Leo,

"Leo Lung. You are the only Master alive who has mastered the 1,000 Scrolls of Kung Fu. May I ask you to rewrite them? I know it will take time, but…"

"I will do my best, Master." Leo whispered with a bow. That night, sitting at his new desk and illuminated by candlelight, Leo Lung started on the first scroll of Kung Fu. He didn't stop working until the gong rang the next morning. He had only finished four.

When the lion finally collapsed onto his bed, the weight of what he was doing finally settled in. He was the only animal alive to master every single of Kung Fu. Although Shifu had dismissed him from training in order to work on completing the scrolls, Leo felt like this task would be a long one.

Every scroll was different, whether they were how to land the perfect roundhouse kick, the correct technique to wield a Japanese katana or shuriken, or battle strategies for every scenario imaginable. Leo knew it all, but the task of rewriting it all was a daunting one.

While Leo worked on the Scrolls of Kung Fu, the Main Building was being rebuilt. Shifu, wanting it to be grander than it was before, oversaw every minute of building. Po had suggested that they merge the Sacred Hall of Warriors with the Main Building.

After the infirmary, kitchens and pantries, and meditation rooms were built, the Sacred Hall was built on the back of the Main Building. Many of the artifacts, such as the Armor of Master Flying Rhino, the Invisible Trident of Destiny, and the painting of Master Oogway had been sadly destroyed.

As such, the new Sacred Hall was smaller than its original counterpart. However, it still held the Moon Pool and the Golden Dragon, which once held the Dragon Scroll. Instead of being on the ceiling, however, it was built onto the far wall, so that anyone who entered the hall would be greeted by the glimmering jade eyes of the dragon.

There were some parts of the Jade Palace that didn't have to be rebuilt, luckily. The Masters Garden, which held statues of some of the greatest Kung Fu Masters to ever live, remained untouched, as did the Palace Arena, where Po was chosen as the Dragon Warrior.

Leo stared in pride at the new Jade Palace. It was absolutely beautiful! Much of the architecture remained the same, but just the thought of having his home back filled Leo to the brim with happiness.

The rest of the Masters gathered around him, sharing his joy at the new Palace being built. It had taken ten months, but everything was finally finished. The courtyard entrance, which was placed right in front of the stairs and would greet anyone who entered the Palace, was a vibrant green. Shifu had imported cherry trees from Japan, and lined the new stone path with them.

A flurry of peach petals blew around the Jade Palace Masters, circling them gently. Leo smiled. It was as if Master Oogway himself was congratulating his students on rebuilding their home.

But the job wasn't done yet.

Leo turned and looked down into the Valley. The town was only about a quarter rebuilt. With a deep inhale, the lion jogged down the steps.

When he reached the Valley, Leo spotted Milu exiting a newly constructed home. The wapiti was holding a medical bag that he had purchased several days after the battle. Milu had worked tirelessly to help every animal who was affected by Shen's attack- whether it was as a healer, a counselor, or a therapist. There were some points in the past ten months where Leo himself had to go to Milu and convince him to sleep, simply because the wapiti wouldn't listen to anyone else.

"Milu," Leo greeted his friend, "our new infirmary is done. You are welcome to go see it and get acquainted."

"Ah, thank you, my friend. I shall go see." The wapiti, after making sure he had everything he needed, began ascending the steps.

Milu thought to himself as he began climbing the steps. Why did he stay in this town so long? Many animals were already cured of their illness. Even some of the worst cases, such as broken bones and fractured limbs, were healed. Although many of the animals were cured of their physical ailments, plenty of them still had traumatic nightmares and visions of the events ten months ago.

Milu did all he could to help. He brewed many different types of tea, he grew lavender on the outskirts of town to distribute, and he even tried doing studies on different animals to see if it was a physical matter.

He could have left months ago. He could have put bandages on the bleeding, sewn up the cuts, and left. He would likely be home in Russia by now.

But what kind of a doctor would that make him? True, he did have loved ones back in Moscow, but they knew he could be gone for months at a time. The wapiti had been gone for at least two years at this point, not to mention the months long journey he would have to make to go back home.

About a month after the battle, Milu had sent a letter to his family back home in Russia. He never got a response, but he did not worry about that. He was too busy working on the citizens of the Valley.

When Milu crested the final steps to the Palace, his jaw dropped. It was beautiful! Luscious grass was planted and baby cherry trees were growing. Insects crowded around flower bushes and a gentle breeze gave everything a sense of movement.

When the doctor entered the Palace, he was created by Master Viper. She gasped excitedly, "Milu, you're here!" She smiled broadly, "You have to see your new infirmary! You'll love it!" She slithered eagerly down one of the halls. Milu, taking in some of the new palace, followed Viper.

When the two finally arrived, Milu stopped in his tracks. This infirmary had beautiful paintings on the walls, and a complete open wall with sliding doors on one side. Like the former infirmary, this one also had a balcony. There were ten identical beds lined up against one wall, more than double the amount of beds in the old infirmary.

A side room led off of the infirmary. Pulling open the sliding door, Milu saw that it was a bedroom, equipped especially for him. Viper saw him gazing into the room and giggled, "We know how much you like to work, so we figured your room should be right next to the infirmary."

Milu frowned, "My..room?" He looked around. It was nice, yes, but how long did he plan on staying here? He never planned on living the rest of his life here.

Viper, who noticed his sudden silence, slithered up to him, "Do you not like it?"

Milu shook his head, "No, no I like it. But how long have you expected me to stay, Ms. Viper? I promised Shifu that I would only stay until Leo Lung was healed."

Viper looked saddened, "I guess you're right, but, if you want to leave, nobody is stopping you." She said glumly. Milu heaved a heavy sigh. These Kung Fu Masters treated him like family.

"I'll stay, Ms. Viper. But please understand that this is not my home. When it comes time for me to leave, I must leave."

The snake nodded solemnly, and Milu smiled, "Now come along, сладкая змея, let us go to the Valley and help with reconstruction."

Milu and Viper made their way out of the Main building and to the Valley below, where their friends and comrades awaited them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> сладкая змея - Sweet snake
> 
> Authors Note: It seems our resident doctor is having some homesickness! How do you think Shifu and Leo will react to this, especially after all that Milu has done for them? Will Shui and her new pack live in the Valley of Peace, or will they move on and be forced to live elsewhere? Be sure to comment on parts you like and leave constructive criticism if you have any. Positive feedback is my best motivation for writing! And be sure to wash your hands!


	18. Huo

.

Viper was silent as she and Milu left the Palace and began descending down the steps. Milu, who was no novice to the snake's emotions, smiled at her, "I know you and your comrades would be upset at my leaving. But I am a travelling doctor. And this is- er, will be, I should say- a beautiful town. I would be lying if I said I had not grown accustomed to this... place. Moscow is not unlike this town."

Viper nodded, "Tell me about Moscow. What is your life like there?" She looked up at the wapiti.

Milu thought for a minute, "Well, I haven't been there in a couple of years, but it is very beautiful. I am well known there, for I studied under the city's head doctor. After I learned all I needed to, well, I started travelling. It was not far, at first. Just to a few villages in the nearby woods. But I began branching out. I wanted to see Asia. So I told my family I would be travelling to China. To India. There I would be able to continue my practices, but also learn how different cultures heal their sick, treat their wounded.

They thought I was absurd, my family did. But off I went. First I went to Tibet-"

The green snake gasped, "I've heard of that place! What was Tibet like?" Viper asked eagerly, nearly stopping at the thought of such a faraway place. Milu smiled,

"Well, it was very cold. After several months of hiking and grabbing rides in carriages and wagons, I had arrived in the middle of winter. There was a village suffering from a terrible cough. I stayed with them until spring and gave them honey for their cough, as well as some medicine I took from Moscow. I told their chief how to prevent future ailments, and off I went. I went east, towards China. I arrived in a beautiful town called Shang Hai.

"Luckily there was no plague there, but simply a few sick. They had a doctor, but thankfully he was willing to learn foreign medicine. I taught him what I knew, he taught me what he knew. I headed south with the intention of going to India, but somehow I arrived in Gongmen City, just days after the peacock took over."

Viper shuddered at the thought of Shen, "What did you do after you arrived?"

"First," Milu thought back, "I rented a small house with some coins that I had gotten as payment from the sick in Shang Hai. I was just seeing off a patient and was getting ready for bed when I heard a great commotion. I come outside and I see a wounded lion outside my door!"

"Leo Lung!" Viper finished for him. Milu nodded,

"I fixed him up and he headed off towards that factory where he thought Shen was and, well, Ms. Viper, I think you can figure out the rest." Milu laughed good naturedly.

The events that took place ten months ago might've been frightening then, but now that Viper and Milu were looking back on it, they simply laughed at Leo Lung rushing headlong into danger. It was so unlike him. Milu blamed it on the pain and adrenaline he must've had pumping through his body.

When the two friends reached about halfway down the stairs, a sudden shriek startled them out of their conversation. Milu looked and saw two wolves hauling Shui up the staircase. The she wolf was groaning in pain. One of the wolves spoke,

"I think her baby is coming!" He whimpered, "You're a doctor! Help her already!"

Viper gasped, "Oh poor Shui! Let's get her to the infirmary!"

Milu nodded. He looked at Viper, "Go back to the palace and prepare a bed for her. And find something for her to hold on to- a pole, stick, anything to grab." Viper, with a quick nod, turned and slithered quickly back up to the palace. Shui, wincing in pain, looked pleadingly at Milu. The wapiti gently picked Shui up bridal style and began carrying her up the steps as fast as he could.

"Hey!" One of the wolves barked, "What about us?"

Milu turned and looked at them, Shui growled in pain. Milu spoke, "Do you want to help deliver her baby?"

The two wolves looked at each other, unsure. They may have fought in wars but helping birth a child seemed daunting. Milu pursed his lips, "You can wait outside the infirmary. If you want to help, wash your paws before you come in." He hurried back to the palace.

Once Milu reached the infirmary, Viper had a bed ready with several pillows. She looked on worriedly as Milu laid her down. Her belly was large, and she grabbed onto the bedsheets in pain.

"Here, Milu." Viper slithered forward, a large metal pole in her coils. The wapiti nodded in thanks and gave it to Shui, "Grab or bite onto this whenever you contract. It should help with the pain." The light she-wolf nodded, her eyes and cheeks wet with tears.

Outside the infirmary, the two wolves pulled up sitting mats and waited anxiously. They pinned their ears back, almost in shame, whenever a pained cry came from inside. Shui was their alpha. It hurt them to see- or hear her- in pain.

Viper slithered in and out of the infirmary. She returned with lavender, honey, water, and just about everything Milu or Shui needed. Whenever the door slid open the wolves tried to peak inside, but the could only see Milu standing over Shui, reassuring and helping her.

Nearly six hours later the sun began to set. Shifu, Leo Lung, Po and the rest of the masters returned from the Valley. As they headed off to dinner, they saw the pair of wolves huddled outside the infirmary.

"Is someone hurt?" Shifu asked. A groan of pain came from the infirmary. One of the wolves, a brown female name Ri Chu, spoke worriedly, "It's Shui! She's having her baby!"

"Oh." Shifu said, his eyebrows raised. Leo Lung looked at the infirmary door,

"Is Milu in there with her?"

"Viper too," said Ri Chu, nodding.

Shifu nodded slowly. A slow, pained moan came from the infirmary. Shifu spoke, "Let me know when her child has arrived."

With that, Shifu, Leo Lung, and the Furious Five- bar Viper- went to go practice in the new Training Hall. Ri Chu, whose ears were tired from being pinned to her head, leaned back and sighed as she could only imagine was Shui was going through.

A small black wolf on her left, named Wan, spoke up, "Maybe we should get some rest. It won't do Shui any good if we are out here." He gestured to the infirmary doors, which slid open as Viper quickly slithered out. She returned several minutes later with several towels in her coils.

Ri Chu pursed her lips and nodded slowly, "Maybe Master Shifu will let us stay in the dorms while we wait."

Wan and Ri Chu stood up and stretched their legs. They were about to go find the red panda when a sudden wail cut them off. This one wasn't like the others, however. It was higher pitched. Baby-like.

"Is that what I think it is?" Ri Chu asked excitedly, all of her sleepiness suddenly washed away.

Wan nodded, "I hope so!" He knocked eagerly on the infirmary doors. The duo of wolves heard Milu talking, and then the doors slid open. Viper looked at the two of them,

"I'm assuming you want to see the new baby?" She smiled. Wan tried to peak in, but he couldn't see anything. Milu said something in Russian, then approached them,

"My apologies, but I won't let anyone see Shui or her child. I want them to bond and for Shui to rest. Come back tomorrow afternoon. Viper," Milu turned to the green snake, "I am ever grateful for your help, you may go rest now."

"Thank you, Milu. I was more than glad to be able to help you." Viper dipped her head in a bow. She slithered out of the infirmary and Milu gently slid the door closed. Viper breathed a sigh of relief. Ri Chu looked at the snake,

"Shui's ok, right?"

"Yes. She did great. She probably just wants to rest now. I'm going to inform everyone that her baby was born though. You two should probably go tell the rest.."

"The rest of the pack, yeah." Wan said, "Let's go, guys!" He said eagerly, jogging down the hall and out of the palace; he hurried towards the wolf camp, which lay near the river bank where the battle took place. Ri Chu excitedly followed- both of them wanting to be the one to share the good news.

Viper, now left alone in the infirmary hall, slowly slithered off to the Training Hall, where she assumed her friends were. Shui and her child were born perfectly healthy, but that was one of the most tiring processes she had been apart of since she joined the Furious Five. Milu had her slithering around and gathering everything for himself and for Shui. But she enjoyed it. The relief and joy it brought her to bring Shui's child into the world... it was something she wouldn't forget.

.

**The next afternoon**

.

News of Shui's baby had spread faster than wildfire in a dry forest. The wolves, who had been told that they wouldn't be able to see Shui's child until the next day, rose before dawn and raced to the Jade Palace.

The second that Shifu opened the gates that morning the wolves flooded the palace. Shifu, who expected them to be in the village repairing homes, was genuinely surprised as the wolves nearly trampled him in an effort to get to the infirmary.

The majority of them had never been to the palace, and they wandered around as a group, lost, until they burst into the dorms by accident, startling awake the Furious Five and Po, who were still asleep. The tired Po guided them to the infirmary. The Furious Five also got up, deciding they wanted to Shui's baby as well. Viper kept her lips stubbornly sealed. Milu, hearing the footsteps and chattering of the crowd, quickly put himself outside the door.

"Quiet! Shui is still sleeping." He said, raising his hooves to get the crowd's attention.

Leo Lung, hearing a great commotion, saw at least one hundred wolves crowded in the hall, with Milu talking to him. Milu slipped into the infirmary for a minute or so before he rejoined the crowd. Leo joined the Furious Five and Po. Milu continued.

"I have awoken Shui, and I will only take in groups of ten at a time. No way can I fit all of you in there. First, I will have all of the Master of Kung Fu in first, as well as Ri Chu and Wan. Come along now." Milu entered the infirmary and gestured for the ten animals to follow.

Leo eagerly entered. He saw that Shui was in the first bed. She had the blanket pulled up to her torso and in her arms was a sleeping baby wolf. Leo smiled broadly. Po, Crane, Mantis, and Monkey aww'd in unison. Tigress' eyes were filled with wonder and curiosity, and Shifu smiled in approval. Ri Chu and Wan gasped happily, moving quickly to the sight of the bed. The Kung Fu Masters moved to join, so they huddled around the bed.

Shui's tail wagged until the blanket, "Good morning, everyone. Meet Huo."

Huo had dark fur, like his father, but his paws, belly, and muzzle were silver like his mother. His eyes were closed peacefully, and his tiny ears were folded closed. "He has the most beautiful eyes of any baby I've delivered." Milu commented offhandedly from the back of the crowd.

Shui nodded and gently kissed Huo's forehead. The baby yawned, showing a pink tongue, which only caused the whole room to swoon. Huo blinked his eyes open. They were a stunning ruby red. He stared curiously at the new visitors. Ri Chu whispered quietly,

"He has his father's eyes."

"Indeed." Shui whispered as she stared lovingly at her child, "It is almost like Alpha has blessed our child from the afterlife." She said soothingly. When Tigress heard that, she looked at the ground, ashamed. Shui, noticing Tigress' shift in mood, held Huo out, "Tigress, would you like to hold him?"

The tiger's eyes widened. She glanced around. Tigress had never held a baby before, "Be easy," Shui instructed, "Mind his head." Tigress gently held Huo, who looked at her. The baby wolf looked at Tigress curiously, following the pattern of the stripes on her head and neck. Huo laughed. It was an adorable sound; Tigress smiled.

"May I hold him?" Po asked eagerly, holding his arms out, smiling. Tigress looked at Shui. The mother nodded, shifting to sit up in her bed. Tigress passed Huo to Po.

Soon, every animal who wanted to hold Huo got a turn. The baby didn't cry at all- in fact, he seemed rather intrigued by the variety of animals who held him. When the baby reached his mother, Milu looked at all of the animals,

"Alright everybody. There are a thousand other wolves out there wanting to see and hold Huo. Time to go, now." He gently ushered everyone out. However, Tigress remained by Shui's side. Milu cocked an eyebrow, and she held up her paw; she wanted a minute alone with Shui.

When Milu had given her privacy, Shui began to feed Huo. She pulled up the blanket so he was covered. Tigress took a deep breath, "Shui, I am still incredibly sorry for my actions ten months ago."

Shui smiled gently, "I have already told you, my friend. I have forgiven you. I have no cruel thoughts or feelings to you."

Tigress nodded slowly, "I understand. It's just..hard, I guess."

"It is." Shui nodded slowly, "May I ask you one thing, Tigress?" Shui looked at the tiger. Tigress nodded, "May you be Huo's godmother? I would ask one of the wolves, but there is no other animal with as much skill as yours."

Tigress' eyes widened. Huo's godmother? Was that like a guardian? Someone who watched over a child and protect them? Did that make Leo Lung her godfather? She looked at Shui, who was patiently waiting for an answer. Tigress leaned down and gently hugged Shui around her neck.

"It would be an honor, my friend."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you did be sure to leave a kudos! Stay safe and wash your hands!


	19. A Home for Us

The sun shone bright the day that work was finished. The birds sang their joy and the flowers seemed to bloom in unison when the town was rebuilt.

The Valley of Peace was finally complete. Every citizen had a home for their family to live in. Every shopkeeper had a shop to sell their wares. Men, women, and children alike rejoiced at their brand new homes.

The four months after the birth of Huo whirled by faster than Leo Lung could've imagined. Homes and stores were rebuilt on their foundation. Where there was enough space, more buildings were built. Any animal who could work worked. The number of tents and canvases outside the Valley decreased as each animal moved back into their home.

The homes themselves were beautiful. Even the farmers, who couldn't afford a two story home, were given a beautiful farm house. The homes in the center of the Valley, where the wealthier animals lived, were just as extravagant. Leo knew- he helped build them.

A European-style town square, suggested by Milu, was built at the base of the Jade Palace stairs. In that square was a beautiful fountain, complete with beautiful trees and benches surrounding it. Any time the Jade Palace occupants entered the Valley, the first thing they were greeted by was the town square, which seemed to be the new hot spot for anybody wanting to get a taste of fresh air.

There was also the business street, where many stores and production lines were created for many of the shopowners of the Valley. Many of the shops, however, still had enough money stashed away to restart business. Many foreign and exotic goods- such as African garments, Korean furniture, and Indian jewelry- were imported and sold at the brand new stores.

Mr. Ping's noodle shop was built bigger than before to accommodate new customers; of course, having an adopted son who was the most famous warrior in China was a big boost for business. The kitchen was high enough for Po to stand up straight in, and featured a Roman-style aqueduct with running water to wash produce as it arrived. The dining room, which was still open air, had more space between the tables- perfect for a certain large panda- and now seated almost 100 customers. Mr. Ping was absolutely ecstatic when he saw the new shop.

One evening, when Leo Lung and the Furious Five visited the shop after a long day of helping the Valley rebuild, they found Mr. Ping and Po talking and laughing in the kitchen. The dining room was empty- the sun had already set and many animals were turning in for the night. The Furious Five sat down at a large table while Leo went to the counter. The two cooks saw him and Po smiled eagerly, "Hey Master Leo! Hey guys!" He waved happily to the Furious Five, who waved back.

"We'll just have some soup tonight, Po." Leo nodded contently, "Have you been cooking all this time?"

"Mostly just prepping for tomorrow's crowd. A lot of hungry workers, you know?" He said, gesturing to vegetables in front of him, which had just arrived several hours earlier.

"Ah, I bet. Will you be staying here tonight, then? We won't mind if you have to." Leo smiled.

"Yeah!" Po perked up, "My new room has all sorts of new posters and action figures and-" The panda stopped himself suddenly when he realized the Furious Five were listening in with amusement, "I mean, yeah, it's pretty cool."

Everyone laughed and, after Leo payed a generous sum to Mr. Ping, sat down to eat dinner. Leo Lung gulped a spoonful of the soup and grinned, "Po, I must say you've done it again. This is delicious."

"Yeah! Your soup is really good."

"I wish I knew the secret ingredient!"

"You have to show us how to make it, Po!"

Po beamed at the compliments, and Mr. Ping, who was watching from the kitchen, felt his whole chest swell with pride. The friends talked and conversed until the moon had nearly reached its peak. They talked about how hard reconstruction was, about different stories from their past, and just how glad they were that Shen and his drama was behind them.

Mr. Ping left the lantern on for them, but had gone to bed several hours earlier. Leo himself was tired, and knew he had a long day of rebuilding ahead of him. The lion took a great yawn and stood up. The rest of the Five followed suit, realizing it was time to go home. Po saw them to the entrance of the shop.

"Thank you for the dinner, Po. We really appreciate it." Leo bowed his head. Po nodded sleepily,

"Your welcome, Master Leo." The panda turned and shuffled to his room, while Leo led the Five back to their own beds.

It seemed everything could now be back to normal.

However, one problem remained: where the wolves would now live. Shui, who was working two jobs by caring for Huo and leading her pack, had had the wolves sleeping in tents outside the Valley. Many of the wolves were opposed to her traveling; Huo was four months old now, and Shui, although she insisted otherwise, would be in no state to travel with such precious cargo.

Master Shifu had sent letters to all the nearby cities, explaining their situation: the wolves, who had proved to be loyal carpenters and workers, needed a home. When the letters had been returned, the red panda read all of them at once, hoping for good news. The leaders of the cities, however, whether they were kings, Kung Fu Masters or even the emperor himself, all denied the wolves. Even though Shen was dead and gone for good, the fear associated with young prince still lingered.

The night after receiving the letters, when all of the wolves and citizens had gone to sleep, Leo Lung, Po, Master Shifu, and Shui, who had left Huo in the care of Ri Chu, gathered in the Main Building. In a brand new conference room, complete with a round table and a large window looking out over the city, the four animals discussed the future of the wolves.

"I don't want to sound like a bad guy, but it might not be a good idea to stay here." Leo Lung said. His elbows were folded on the table and his hands were locked together in front of his muzzle, "There are still many villagers who associate you guys with Shen. Although we are thankful for your work rebuilding the town, there are those out there who still hold a stigma."

"We can't just wander around homeless." Shui said, "I have over a hundred wolves out there, my child among them, expecting us to come up with something. Imagine what they would think if I walked down there and said we don't have a home. They'd be devastated." She sighed while looking out the window.

Po sat up, "What if they stayed here in the Jade Palace? We could teach them Kung Fu." He said, hopefully. Master Shifu, however, shook his head,

"While I am all for the idea of more people learning Kung Fu, we don't have nearly enough room here, even with the new dorm rooms. Shui and Huo, maybe, and a couple others."

Shui pinned her ears to her head stubbornly, "I'm not splitting the pack up. As cliche as it sounds, we are a family. We are all we have. Some of us have been born and raised in the pack."

As the deliberating continued, Po sighed in disappointment. They had spent hours collaborating, and no deal was yet in sight. Shifu explained that none of the surrounding cities, including Gongmen, Shang Hai and Bei Jing, were willing to grant the wolves entry. It seemed no standing city was willing to accept the former minions of Shen. Shui remained strong, however. Even though she never grew angry or upset, she remained confident that her pack needed a home.

That was when an idea formed in Po's head. No standing city would accept the wolves, but what about a fallen city?

"Hey," Po interrupted, "what if the wolves lived in the abandoned panda village?"

Everybody looked at him, surprised and confused. Shui, although she was not present for Shen's desolation of the panda village, shook her head, "Although I am desperate for a home, I don't want my pack living in a ghost town."

"Wait!" Po said, "Hear me out! We can rebuild the panda village just like we rebuilt the Valley of Peace so the wolves can live there! They can have a village of their own!"

Shifu nodded, "I see. It's not very far from here- only a day's travel by boat."

Leo smiled, "I think it's the best idea we've had so far. Great thinking, Po." The lion praised. Po smiled and looked to Shui for her reaction.

The wolf pursed her lips. She remembered back before the battle. Alpha had promised her that they would raise their child, Huo, in a village of their very own. Now, here the village was, "I have never been there. But if there is enough space for my people, then we will go."

"We will help you build it, too!" Po exclaimed, "I mean, I kind of want to see it again in it's glory."

Shui smiled at Po, "I appreciate your enthusiasm, Po, but I think we can handle it. The wolves in our pack are proud. They will help others, but emperor-forbid someone help them. But, once the village is rebuilt, we shall send for you. We shall send for all of you! How does that sound?"

Po, Shifu, and Leo shared relieved glances with one another. The wolves finally had a place to live.

The next morning- after receiving directions to the abandoned village from Po- Shui, Huo, Ri Chu, Wan and the rest of the wolf pack set off in several boats down the river. The wolves borrowed five large boats. They managed to fit the majority of the pack in two boats, while the other three carried food, wood, and stone. The Jade palace masters saw the wolves off on the docks.

Shui, who was on the lead boat, called back to them, "Thank you! For everything!"

"You're welcome!" Po waved back.

"Be sure to write, Tigress!" Shui called to Tigress.

Tigress smiled and waved. Over the past six months, Tigress and Shui had become good companions. Tigress would often watch Huo while Shui dealt with matters within her pack. Huo absolutely loved being with Tigress. He would follow the pattern of stripes on her body, then giggle when he reached her eyes or her muzzle. Shui thought it was the most adorable thing. Although she would never admit it in a million years, Tigress enjoyed spending time with Huo.

As the last boat turned the corner around the mountain and disappeared, Leo sighed. The wolves had become part of their lives over the last year and a half. It almost pained him to see them go, but to know that they were starting a new life just a day's voyage away made the goodbye all that much easier.

The walk back to the Jade Palace was uneventful and quiet. The villagers quietly and gratefully went about their day. The streets almost seemed empty without animals hauling stone, chopping wood, or wolves overseeing construction. Leo sighed. The past fourteen months had almost become routine. It would be hard going back to normal after everything the past year and a half had thrown at them.

When the Jade Palace residents reached the town square, they saw an unfamiliar sight. A wapiti- just like Milu- was looking around. She wore a dark green dress that flowed down to her hooves, and a travelling cloak thrown over her shoulders. She had no antlers and standing next to her was a little fawn, glancing at the fountain curiously. The mother turned and saw them,

"Где Милу? Ты знаешь где он?" She asked.

The Kung Fu masters shared confused glances. None of them spoke Russian. Viper, however, picked up on her appearance,

"Are..are you Milu's family? Milu?" She asked slowly.

The female wapiti's ears perked up, "M-Milu.." She tried her best Chinese, "Milu..is..my..husband." She said slowly, as if trying her best translation.

To say everyone was stunned was accurate. Milu had often talked about his family, but he never said anything about a wife or child.

"We can take you to him." Viper said slowly. Leo was still in awe that these two animals would travel all the way from Moscow, or where ever Milu said he was from.

Viper led the way up the stairs. The mother took her toddler's hooves in her own. The rest of the Kung Fu Masters escorted them from behind, listening as the child- who couldn't be more than four years old- babbled in mixed Chinese and Russian. Some of them shared glances- how would Milu react to his wife and daughter showing up after him being gone from home over two years?

When they reached the courtyard, Viper headed into the main building while the mother and the child waited with the rest of the masters.

Viper entered the main building and went to the infirmary. She felt joy bubble up in her; it would make Milu so happy to see his family! She used her tail to knock gently on the infirmary door before sliding it open. Milu was sitting at his desk, writing in his medical journal. He looked up. Upon seeing Viper, he smiled, "Ah, what brings you here, my friend?"

"Milu, someone is here to see you. They are waiting in the courtyard." She said, trying to hide her excitement. A look of confusion fell over the doctor's face, "Is it a patient?" He mumbled to himself, standing up. He strode past Viper. Viper, now behind him, grinned. She followed Milu as he exited the main building.

When the doctor saw his wife standing there, surrounding by greenery and Japanese Cherry trees, his jaw fell open. His eyes brightened significantly, "E-Elena? Is that you?"

Elena nodded, smiling gleefully, "Я прошел весь этот путь, чтобы найти тебя."

Milu beamed. The toddler, finally noticing Milu's appearance, cried out, "Papa!" She ran to him. Milu knelt down, "Принцесса!" The child leapt into Milu's arms, and he hugged her tightly. Milu, with his daughter still in his arms, stood and hugged Elena. The three stood like that for what seemed like a long time. Milu whispered to Elena,

"You've come such a long way, my darling. такой долгий путь для меня?"

"Да, моя любовь." Elena smiled, kissing Milu on the cheek, "When..." Elena tried her Chinese again, "we received..your letter..Klara and I left...to find you. We missed you."

Milu felt the tears running down his cheeks as he embraced his wife and daughter. Viper smiled, "Does this mean you can stay here, in the Valley of Peace?"

Shifu stepped forward, "It would be nice to have a permanent doctor." Then Shifu added quietly, "A doctor who knows what he's doing." He gave a sideways glance to Mantis, who chuckled quietly.

Elena and Milu shared a glance. Elena spoke, "I can..work here. I can cook..."

"I'm sure my comrades here have never tried pirogi," Milu pressed his forehead lovingly against Elena's, "And I think Shifu is ready to take on another student." He looked at his daughter, Klara, then at Shifu.

Shifu sighed, feeling very old all of a sudden, "I'm not, but I think Master Leo Lung is."

Leo laughed, "I think it's time Po took on an apprentice!"

"Woah, hey! Where'd all this responsibility come from?!" Po said. Everyone laughed. Shifu spoke up, a smile on his muzzle,

"Milu, you and your family are more than welcome to stay in the Jade Palace. Your daughter can learn Kung Fu, and we would love to try some Russian dishes from your wife."

The doctor beamed, hugging his family tightly, "We would be more than honored to accept your offer."

As everyone cheered at the doctor's words, Leo Lung smiled contentedly. He looked at his group of friends. No, not friends. As Po had said right before Shen had died, they were family. They had survived a jealous leopard and a power hungry peacock. They had survived it together.

That's how they would move forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Где Милу? Ты знаешь где он - Where is Milu? Do you know where he is?
> 
> Я прошел весь этот путь, чтобы найти тебя - I went all this way to find you
> 
> Принцесса! - Princess!
> 
> такой долгий путь для меня - Such a long way for me?
> 
> Да, моя любовь - Yes, my love
> 
> There you have it :) Get you someone who will spend a year travelling across Asia just so they can be with you. Keep on reading for the epilogue!


	20. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness. I am finally finished with this story! I am so happy! Be sure to leave kudos! Positive feedback is my best motivator.
> 
> Oh, and by the way...
> 
> Dear Tigress,
> 
> I hope my letter finds you well! I know it has been a while since  
> we have talked in person.
> 
> It has been nearly four years since we have moved to the village,  
> and we are doing absolutely amazing. Huo keeps on wanting to meet you.
> 
> If it would be at all possible for him to travel to the Valley of Peace, and for  
> him to train under your wing, I would be very happy, and Huo would be  
> more than ecstatic at the idea to properly meet everyone.
> 
> We can arrange the details over more letters. I can have several wolves  
> escort him to the Jade Palace if it suits you.
> 
> Please inform Shifu of my request, and write back soon. Huo wants nothing more  
> than to meet and train with you.
> 
> Yours,
> 
> Shui

Many miles and mountains away, Li Shan sat cross legged with his eyes closed. He had not meditated like this in many, many years. It was only when an urging, nagging feeling pulled at him like his belly pulled him to eat when Li decided to cross to the pagoda overlooking the village and meditate.

It was then that a voice came to Li Shang out of the blackness. It was soft and wise.

"Your son is alive."

Li Shang nearly fell- or rolled, would be more accurate- out of the pagoda.

The shock fell over him like a tidal wave. His son? The one he lost years and years ago?

Or was he not lost, like Li had thought for almost thirty years?

"He resides in the Valley of Peace." The voice said, almost like it was urging him to go to this place. All of a sudden, Li Shang knew the location of this city. It was far, far away. But he knew it. That was where his child was.

Li Shang opened his eyes. He turned around,

"My son. My son is alive." He breathed, almost as if he couldn't believe it himself. He strode down the pagoda.

What was his son like? Was he just like when he was a baby- playful and innocent? Or was he hardened by the world around him? Did he have a new family now, or did he walk alone, never in the same place twice?

Would his son remember him? Or would he be a stranger in his child's eyes?

He stopped in front of a paddy field, where many of his kind worked on growing rice. He gazed upon them hopefully. As they began to look back to him, Li Shang felt the sun break through the clouds. It hit his black and white fur, filling him to the brim with hope.

"Lotus is alive."

**Author's Note:**

> Be sure to leave constructive criticism if you have any :) Leave a kudos as well! Positive feedback is my best motivation!


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